Waqf board gets new chairman-elect

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Chitradurga Congress leader Anwar Basha was elected unopposed to the post of the Karnataka Waqf Board (KWB) chairman on Monday though the winner is yet to be formally announced.

His election to the post will be held in abeyance because of a Karnataka High Court (HC) order which had said the election should be held but the results be officially held back.

The order was the result of a petition that demanded that chairman elections be postponed until the Mutawalli quota polls are held.

The court will hear the case on Tuesday and Basha’s election is eventually expected to be cleared.

The post of KWB chairman has been lying vacant since July 5 since Shafi Saadi quit the post. Basha contesting unopposed had raised eyebrows and has kindled optimism among others since there must have been a consensus among all factions to agree on a single name.

Basha has a reputation as a community and political leader in Chitradurga district.

His party men and supporters were heard raising slogans in his favour outside the waqf board office on Cunningham Road on the day of his election.