In the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil polls, the National Conference and Congress jointly secured a significant victory, winning 17 seats out of the 26 contested on October 4, with the vote counting process still ongoing.
The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil consists of 30 members, with four members nominated by the administration who possess voting rights.
This election carries particular importance as it marks the first major poll following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and the establishment of the Ladakh Union Territory.
According to officials, the National Conference (NC) secured nine seats, while its coalition partner, the Congress, emerged victorious in eight seats. The BJP managed to secure two seats, while one seat was won by an Independent candidate. Most of the 26 seats witnessed a triangular contest between the NC, Congress, and the BJP.
The Vice President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference celebrated the victory and expressed gratitude to the voters through a social media post. He shared images of the victory celebrations and extended his thanks to the supporters.
The elections witnessed a turnout of 77.61 percent, with 74,026 out of 95,388 eligible voters exercising their right to vote.
The previous council, led by the NC's Feroz Ahmad Khan, concluded its five-year term on October 1. The newly elected council members are set to take office before October 11.
The NC and Congress had formed a pre-election alliance but fielded 17 and 22 candidates, respectively. Both parties clarified that the alliance was limited to areas where they faced stiff competition from the BJP.
The BJP, which had won a single seat in the previous election and later increased its tally to three by incorporating two PDP councilors, presented 17 candidates this time. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contested four seats, and there were 25 Independent candidates in the electoral fray.
Additionally, this election marked the introduction of electronic voting machines, employed for the first time in council elections, at 278 polling stations across the district.
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