Polling to be held on Oct 4, counting on Oct 8
*Nomination process to start on Sept 9
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 7: The Union Territory Administration of Ladakh in compliance with yesterday’s Supreme Court judgment tonight cancelled entire election process for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil and issued fresh notification fixing October 4 as the next polling date.
As per the previous notification, voting was scheduled to be held on September 10 and counting on September 14.
The Election Authority of Ladakh tonight scrapped the previous schedule and issued revised notification for the elections.
As per the fresh notification, the process for filing of nomination papers for 26-member LAHDC Kargil will start on September 9 while last date for filing nominations has been fixed as September 16.
Scrutiny of nominations will take place on September 18 while the candidates can withdraw their papers on September 20.
Polling for all 26 seats will be held on October 4 from 8 AM to 4 PM while counting will take place on October 8.
Entire elections process will be completed before October 11.
A notification issued by the Election Authority stated that the Supreme Court in its judgment dated September 6 had set aside the entire election process for the LAHDC Kargil which was initiated on August 2.
“Further, the Supreme Court has directed that a fresh notification for the election to constitute 5th LAHDC Kargil shall be issued within seven days from the date of its judgment,” the order issued by the Ladakh Election Authority pointed out.
Therefore, it said, in compliance to the Supreme Court judgment and Rule 12 of the LAHDC (Election) Rules, 1995, the administration of Union Territory of Ladakh has issued fresh election schedule.
It may be mentioned here that the Supreme Court had yesterday allotted ‘Plough’ symbol to the National Conference and imposed a cost of Rs one lakh on the Ladakh UT administration.
The Supreme Court had also ordered cancellation of the Election notification.
The National Conference candidates, it may be mentioned, had been treated as Independent candidates in the Council elections and allotted different symbols and not ‘Plough’ which is symbol of the party in Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh was also part of undivided Jammu and Kashmir before being made a Union Territory on August 5, 2019.
The National Conference and Congress have already announced post-poll alliance for the LAHDC Kargil to keep the BJP away from the power.
NC and Congress were contesting around 22 seats each in 26-members LAHDC Kargil while the BJP has fielded 17 candidates.
This will be fifth election to LAHDC Kargil which had come into effect in 2003.
The LAHDC Kargil has total strength of 30. While election is held for 26 seats, four Councillors are nominated by the Union Territory Administration of Ladakh with voting rights. Thus, a party has to win 16 seats to secure majority.
National Conference leader Feroz Khan remained as chairperson-cum-Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of LAHDC Kargil throughout the five-year term of the outgoing Council.
In 2018 election, National Conference had won 10 seats and Congress 8. PDP had garnered two seats and BJP one while there were five Independents. Initially NC and Congress shared power in the Council but later NC formed its own city Government with the support of Independents.
PDP Councillors had later switched over to BJP while four nominated Councillors were also its leaders which took party’s strength to seven.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
