08-10-2023 : In the recent Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil elections held on October 4, the National Conference (NC) once again emerged as the single largest party, securing a total of 12 out of the 26 seats contested. This outcome mirrored the 2018 elections when the NC had also secured the top position in Kargil.
The Indian National Congress (Congress) managed to secure 10 seats in these elections, making it the second-largest party in the council. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won two seats but lost three closely contested seats, all within the Muslim-majority Kargil district, where the margin of victory was less than 100 votes. Independents managed to secure the remaining two seats.
Notably, Haji Inayat Ali, the BJP’s candidate for the chairman’s position, and a former Chairman of the Legislative Council of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, lost in the Poyen constituency to a National Conference candidate. On the other hand, the incumbent Chairman from the NC, Feroz Khan, was re-elected from the Silmoo constituency.
In this 30-member council, four councillors will be nominated by the Union Territory Government, giving the BJP a total tally of six seats.
These elections were the second major political event in Ladakh since it became a Union Territory on August 5, 2019, following its separation from Jammu and Kashmir. The first such election took place in LAHDC Leh in October 2020, where the BJP secured an absolute majority in the Buddhist-dominated district.
While no single party reached the majority mark of 16, both the National Conference and Congress have agreed to form a post-poll alliance to prevent the BJP from gaining power. Interestingly, even though the two parties contested against each other on most seats, their combined tally reached 22 seats, which is six more than the majority mark required for control of the council. The BJP had hoped to secure victory through the support of independent candidates, but only two independents managed to win, compared to five in the outgoing council.
Compared to the 2018 elections, the National Conference and Congress both increased their seat counts by two, while the BJP doubled its tally. Independents, however, saw a decrease in their seats from five to two. The major loser in these elections was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), led by Mehbooba Mufti, which had won two seats in 2018 but did not field any candidates this time as its two councillors had joined the BJP. Additionally, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contested four seats but failed to win any.
In terms of prominent candidates, Feroz Khan, the outgoing Chairman and a National Conference leader, was re-elected from the Silmoo constituency. However, three sitting Executive Councillors and many councillors lost their elections, with only one sitting Executive Councillor, Punchok Tashi of the National Conference, managing to retain his seat from Padam.
The NC and Congress are expected to meet in the coming days to finalize the formation of the council. While they are likely to share the four posts of Executive Councillors equally, a decision is yet to be made on the post of Chairman-cum-CEC of the Council.
Below is a summary of the election results for various constituencies, including the contesting candidates, their respective parties, and the votes polled:
Constituency / Contesting Candidates / Party / Votes Polled / Status
Bhimbat BILAL AHMAD BJP 103, TALIB HUSSAIN INC 1895 ,ABDUL WAHID JKNC 1947 ,Won SYED ASGAR SHAH INDEPENDENT 743, Padum SKALZANG WANGYAL BJP 1691, PUNCHOK TASHI JKNC 1745 Won Stakchay Khangral PADMA DORJEY BJP 1007 Won SYED HASSAN INC 830 GHULAM HUSSAIN JKNC 479 ASHRAF HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 242, GHULAM NABI INDEPENDENT 92, Taisuru ABDUL HADI INC 1717, Won SYED ABBASS JKNC 1456, Pashkum AHMAD HUSSAIN AAP 130, KACHO MOHAMMAD FEROZ INC 1756 Won MOHD ALI INDEPENDENT 1406, Rambirpora ABDUL SAMAD INC 1949 Won FAYAZ AHMAD QARI BJP 545 MUBARAK SHAH NAGVI S JKNC 1374 Yourbaltak MOHD HASSAN PASHA BJP 439, MANZOOR UL HUSSAIN JKNC 1452, Won KACHO AHMAD ALI KHAN INDEPENDENT 1362, Choskore BASHIR AHMAD BJP 174 NASIR HUSSAIN MUNSHI INC 1447, Won MOHD RAZA JKNC 1013, Chiktan LIYAQUT ALI KHAN INC 850, Won MOHSIN ALI BJP 489, SAJJAD HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 194, MOHD SALMAN INDEPENDENT 400 NIYAZ HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 433, Parkachik AGHA ANUL HUDA INC 2165 Won GHULAM MOHAMMAD INDEPENDENT 1037 ,Barsoo ABDUL HANI BJP 51 GH ABASS WAZIR INC 1183, GH MOHMAD INDEPENDENT 1411 ,Won Cha TENZIN SONAM INC 564, STANZIN LAKPA BJP 798, Won Kargil Town MOHD HUSSAIN INC 668, MOHD ABASS ADULPA JKNC 1953, Won MOHAMMAD RAZA INDEPENDENT 188, Baroo KHADIM HUSSAIN INC 1099 Won MOHMAD HANEEFA JKNC 1033, ALI AKBAR INDEPENDENT 257 GHULAM MEHDI INDEPENDENT 424, KACHO AHMAD KHAN INDEPENDENT 44, Thasgam Thuina MOHD HASAN AAP 53 SHEIKH MOHD HUSSAIN INC 1311 ,MOHD JAFFER AKHOON JKNC 1405 Won AKHUND SAFDAR ALI INDEPENDENT 195 Shakar ZAKIR HUSSSAIN INC 1339 Won KACHOO SHAMEEM AHMAD KHAN INDEPENDENT 1001 Silmoo REGZIN GURMATH BJP 553, MOHD ALI KHAN INC 665, FEROZ AHMED KHAN JKNC 1638 Won Poyen HAJI ANAYAT ALI BJP 962 ,MOHD HUSSAIN AAP 22, MURTAZA ALI INC 954, MOHD AMIN JKNC 1322, Won Thangdumbur MOHD ALI BJP 519 ASHIQ ALI JKNC 1643 Won Lankarchey KHAIRA BANOO AAP 36 ,MOHD SADIQ INC 786 MANSOOR HUSSAIN BJP 127, GHULAM HAIDER JKNC 1202, Won SYED SHAMUSUDDIN INDEPENDENT 289 MAHMOOD HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 37 Trespone SYED MUJTABA JKNC 1292 Won AHMED HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 750 ,NAWAZ ALI INDEPENDENT 1106 Saliskut AHMAD HUSSAIN BJP 66 SYED HASSAN INC 944 MOHD SAJJAD JKNC 1144, Won Gund Mangalpur MOHMAD ABASS INC 978 ,NASIR HUSSAIN BJP 67, SYED ALI INDEPENDENT 1313, Won SYED MEHDI INDEPENDENT 418, MOHD ALI INDEPENDENT 72 Chuliskamboo KHATIJA BANOO INC 716, ALTAF HUSSAIN JKNC 1480 Won REYAZ AHMAD KHAN INDEPENDENT 1173 ,Shargole MOHD JAWAD INC 1978, Won MOHD ALI CHANDAN BJP 1913 STANZIN TARPOO INDEPENDENT 37, Karsha RIGZIN TSEWANG BJP 1430, STANZIN JIGMAT INC 1509 Won