Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 19: Ladakh will tomorrow witness its first Parliamentary election after becoming as the Union Territory post abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution granting special status to erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir where it was a division. Following bifurcation of the State, J&K and Ladakh became the UTs.
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However, elections to 26-member Autonomous Hill Development Councils were held in both Leh and Kargil districts after the UT status. While BJP gained majority in Leh Council for second consecutive term, National Conference-Congress combine scored landslide victory in Kargil.
Officials said all arrangements have been made for the election with polling parties, security personnel, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and other material dispatched to all 298 Polling Stations in Leh and 279 booths in Kargil. Though the Union Territory of Ladakh is completely peaceful, adequate number of paramilitary forces besides Ladakh police have been deployed at all Polling Stations and other vulnerable areas to ensure peaceful voting tomorrow.
The Election Observer and Expenditure Observer have been deputed by the Election Commission while one Micro Observer each has been deployed at all Polling Stations of the Union Territory.
There are three candidates in the fray for Ladakh Parliamentary constituency including Tashi Gyalson (BJP), Tsering Namgyal (Congress) and Mohammad Haneefa Jan (Independent). Gyalson is sitting Chairman-cum-CEC while Namgyal is Leader of Opposition in Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council. Jan was district NC president for Kargil and is contesting the election as an Independent candidate with the support of National Conference and Congress units of Kargil district. He too is former Chairman-cum-CEC of Kargil Hill Council.
Ladakh segment has 1.84 lakh electorates and is known for brisk voting.
Like Jammu and Udhampur Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP in Ladakh also will try to score hat-trick after having won the seat in 2014 and 2019 but lone candidate from Kargil is posing stiff challenge to both BJP and Congress.
Both BJP and Congress candidates belonged to Buddhist dominated Leh district while Haneefa Jan is lone candidate from Shia Muslim majority Kargil district.
Officials said there is strong enthusiasm in the Union Territory since this is first Parliamentary election in Ladakh after grant of UT status. However, the UT status seems to have been overshadowed by the demand for grant of Statehood and Sixth Schedule status for which agitation is being spearheaded by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
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