Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 16: An estimated 81,134 voters were eligible to cast their votes for tomorrow’s fifth election to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh to elect 26 Councilors from amongst 90 candidates of different political parties and candidates.
Deputy Commissioner, Leh and Election Authority for the LAHDC Leh, Prasanna Ramaswamy said all arrangements were in place to conduct free, fair and smooth elections for 26 seats of LAHDC Leh tomorrow. Polling will be held from 8 am to 4 pm.
Security arrangements have been made at all 274 polling stations with the deployment of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Armed Police in adequate strength. Polling and security teams have reached all remote and far flung polling stations including six stations, where they were airlifted.
Ramaswamy today ordered suspension of two polling officials including Mohammad Yasin Painter, who was posted at 156-Dipling polling station and Ghulam Rasool, who was deployed at 152-Youlchang polling station, for not reporting to the duty. Authorities have made alternate arrangements in their place.
For 26 seats, 90 candidates were in the fray including 25 each from BJP and Congress, the two main parties vying for control of the Council, and eight each from PDP and NC, 17 from newly floated New Ladakh Movement (NLM) and rest the Independents.
Authorities have made tight security arrangements for the elections with deployment of ITBP and CRPF even though Leh has the history of peaceful elections.
Congress had won the Council elections three out of four times while once the Leh Union Territory Front (LUTF) had ruled it. In the outgoing Council, Congress had 22 and BJP 4 seats but this time, the BJP has been giving tough times to the Congress after having won for the first time the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat in the last year’s Parliamentary polls. However, in the Assembly elections, which followed, Congress had won both Assembly seats of Leh district.
Official sources said there were 81,134 registered voters including 40858 male and 40276 females for 26 seats.
Lower Leh constituency, the highest voters constituency, has 14 polling booths which includes Zansgti Gogsum, Skayanos-A, Skampari-A, Skampari-B, Skayanos-B, Skara, Skara Yokma, Skalzangling-A, Skalzangling-B, Shaynam, Housing Colony-A, Housing Colony-B, Housing Colony-D and Housing Colony-D. It has 10187 voters including 5054 male and 5133 females.
Phyang, the seconds highest voters segment, has 13 polling booths which including Saboo, Balam, Choglamsar, Tashi Gatsal-A, Sonam Barmaling, Tashi Thongmon, Kharnakling, Spituk, Urgainling, Phey, Phayang, Chusgo Phayang and Phayang Fulang.
It has 8450 registered voters including 4319 male and 4131 females.
Anley Phu in Nyoma constituency is the highest polling booth with 82 registered voters who will cast their vote in a tented polling booth. Gaik polling booth in Kungyam constituency with 12 voters is the lowest polling station while Sheynam polling booth with 1252 registered voters in Lower Leh constituency is highest polling booth in the district.
Meanwhile, 4101 postal ballots were sent to different Army and paramilitary force units and so far more than 400 postal ballots were received in the election office.
Counting of the votes will be held on October 23 and all results were expected in the evening.
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