INDIA bloc faces litmus test in Ladakh’s first post- 370 council polls

The national political party Congress and Kashmir’s heavyweight the National Conference, which have traditionally been allies in the regions of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, are now contesting this election in a coalition to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

| Updated: 04 October, 2023 4:43 pm IST

Around 95,388 eligible voters are anticipated to cast their votes.

KARGIL: Voting is underway to elect a new Ladakh Hill Council in Kargil, the first election since Article 370 was abrogated and Ladakh was turned into a separate Union Territory (UT) in 2019.

National party Congress and Kashmir’s heavyweight the National Conference – the traditional allies in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh – are fighting this election in an alliance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay.

A total of 95,388 voters are expected to exercise their franchise to elect 26 representatives from among a total of 85 contestants participating in the elections.

The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be opened on October 8.

Kargil deputy commissioner (DC) Shrikant Balasaheb Suse informed The New Indian, “Out of total 278 polling stations, 114 are hyper-sensitive and 99 are sensitive polling stations.”

The Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are scheduled to be opened on October 8.

The highest number of candidates in the fray are from the Congress (22), followed by the National Conference (17) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (17). There are also four candidates from the Aam Aadmi Party and 25 independents.

The AAP, a constituent in the newly-formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), is not in a pre-poll political arrangement with the Congress and the National Conference.

Voting is currently in progress to choose a fresh Ladakh Hill Council in Kargil

The existing council, headed by the National Conference’s Feroz Ahmad Khan, completed its five-year term on October 1.

The region’s influential religious seminaries like the Jamiat Ulema Kargil and the Imam Khumaini Memorial Trust have appealed to people to vote against the BJP. In the past, however, the two groups have traditionally supported the Congress and the NC.

Many feel that the growing differences between the BJP and the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), an important Buddhist organisation, over the Centre’s failure to grant protection to Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution is also likely to hamper the BJP’s prospects in the polls.

BJP leaders, however, are hopeful of getting a chance. “National Conference has underestimated its leaders, people and regional aspirations of Ladakh. The political landscape in Muslim-dominant Kargil has changed. It is completely aligned with the BJP because people want comprehensive development, corruption free administration,” asserted local BJP MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.

The current council, led by Feroz Ahmad Khan from the National Conference, concluded its five-year tenure on October 1.

In a conversation with The New Indian, he said the BJP has done a lot to develop the region and went on to list government schemes like PMGSY, roads, special development package, JJM.

The Ladakh administration had earlier denied the “plough” symbol to National Conference candidates, a decision later struck down by the Supreme Court.

The outcome of the Ladakh Hill Council polls will be closely watched by both the INDIA bloc and the BJP. The elections will also be a test of the popularity of the BJP-led administration in the region.