Electronic Voting Machines Debut in Historic LAHDC Kargil Polls on October 4
02-10-2023 : Campaigning has officially come to a close for the upcoming elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil, where 26 constituencies are set to hold polls on October 4, with the counting scheduled for October 8. The conclusion of the campaign period saw prominent leaders from various political parties making their final appeals to the electorate.
In this fiercely contested electoral battle, key political figures made their presence felt in Kargil. Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally during his visit to Ladakh, seeking to bolster his party’s prospects. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi, spearheaded the BJP’s campaign efforts, rallying the party’s supporters. National Conference Vice President and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, played a pivotal role in drumming up support for his party’s candidates.
This marks the fifth edition of the LAHDC Kargil elections, and it appears that a triangular contest is on the horizon for most of the 26 seats. The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 22, followed closely by the National Conference and BJP with 17 candidates each. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also entered the fray with four candidates, and there are an additional 25 Independent candidates vying for seats.
The new Council will be formed before October 11, as the existing Council, led by National Conference’s Feroz Ahmad Khan, completed its five-year term on October 1. A total of 95,388 eligible voters, including 46,762 women, will exercise their franchise from 8 am to 4 pm on the election day to determine the fate of 85 candidates competing for the 26 seats in the 30-member Hill Council. Following the elections, four Councillors with voting rights will be nominated by the administration.
It’s worth noting that the National Conference and Congress have announced a pre-poll alliance, but they have selectively applied it to areas where they anticipate a tough contest with the BJP. The BJP, which secured one seat in the previous election and later increased its tally to three with the addition of two PDP Councillors, is fielding 17 candidates this time, with four nominated candidates from the last election also affiliated with the BJP.
An interesting development in this election is the introduction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the first time in the Council elections. To ensure a peaceful polling process, additional Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies have already been deployed, particularly in the 114 hypersensitive and 99 sensitive polling stations out of the total 278 set up across the district.
In anticipation of the election, Election Authority and Deputy Commissioner Shrikant Balasaheb Suse issued an official order imposing a total prohibition on public meetings and processions during the 48-hour period leading up to the conclusion of the poll. Additionally, exit polls in the district are banned until the conclusion of the poll, with warnings of legal action against violators.
The LAHDC-Kargil elections had to be rescheduled from September 10 to October 4 due to a directive from the Supreme Court. The Court took serious note of the UT administration’s denial of the “plough” symbol to National Conference candidates. However, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the National Conference, asserting their entitlement to the symbol and imposing a Rs 1 lakh cost on the Ladakh administration for their plea on the issue.
While prominent leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Meenakshi Lekhi played their parts in the campaign, much of the groundwork was carried out by local leaders of their respective parties. Omar Abdullah, for instance, spent three days in Kargil holding rallies for National Conference candidates, while BJP Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, actively campaigned, emphasizing the Central Government’s commitment to the region’s development.