Seven candidates contested for the position of president, with the main competition between Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, Talikoti, the national convenor of the RSS’s Muslim Rashtriya Manch and an oncologist, retired IRS officer Abrar Ahmed, and entrepreneur Asif Habib.
The long-awaited result of the India Islamic Culture Center election has seen Congress veteran and former cabinet minister Salman Khurshid emerge as the leading candidate. Voting, which took place on August 11, saw a total of 1,662 votes cast, including 940 at the voting centre, 390 through e-voting, and 332 via postal ballots.
The counting process, which began on August 12 and extended through August 13, has been ongoing, with the counting of postal ballots set to commence on August 14 at 9 am. So far, 560 votes have been counted in favour of Salman Khurshid, who has maintained a lead from the start.
In the e-voting segment, Khurshid secured 194 out of 390 votes. His closest competitors in this category were Kalar Habib with 57 votes, Afzal Aman Azad with 54 votes, Abrar Ahmed with 43 votes, and Dr. Majid Ahmed Talikoti with 42 votes. Notably, Sahil Suhail Hindustani and Ahmed Ahmed Ghazi, who initially declared support for Khurshid, received no votes due to their names appearing on the ballot despite withdrawal.
While the final declaration of victory is still pending, Khurshid’s supporters have begun celebrating, with many prominent figures extending their congratulations. Notable well-wishers include Fareed chughtai, President of the Democratic Press Club; Saeed Ahmed, Chief Editor of Web Varta News Agency; and Javed Rahmani, Secretary and Editor of Journalism Studio, among others.
