Kargil, Ladakh – October 4: The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections commenced in Kargil on Wednesday, featuring 87 candidates vying for success in 26 constituencies.
Polling operations began promptly at 8 am and are progressing smoothly, according to officials. Shrikant Balasaheb Suse, Deputy Commissioner of Kargil, assured that comprehensive preparations have been made to ensure free and fair elections. Among the 278 polling stations in place, 114 have been identified as hyper-sensitive, and 99 as sensitive polling stations.
Voters, including many elderly citizens, formed queues at polling stations from the early hours to exercise their democratic right.
The vote counting is scheduled for October 8, with the new council set to assume office by October 11. The previous council, led by the National Conference’s Feroz Ahmad Khan, completed its five-year term on October 1.
A total of 95,388 eligible voters are participating in the election to determine the fate of 85 candidates vying for the 26 seats in the 30-member Hill Council, as confirmed by election officials. Additionally, the administration will nominate four councillors with voting rights.
The National Conference and Congress have forged a pre-poll alliance, fielding 17 and 22 candidates, respectively, with a strategic focus on areas where competition with the BJP is intense. The BJP, which secured one seat in the previous election and subsequently expanded to three with the addition of two PDP councillors, has presented 17 candidates this time.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is contesting four seats, while 25 independent candidates are also participating in the electoral fray, according to officials. Notably, electronic voting machines are being employed for the first time in the council elections.
