Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 1: National Conference leader Feroz Khan, former Minister, was today elected as Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Councilor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil with the support of Congress at the election held at Baroo Hall at Kargil district headquarters this morning.
Khan’s name was proposed by National Conference Councilor from Sankoo, Aga Syed Ahmad and was seconded by Congress district president, Nasir Munshi, Councilor Chaskore in the LAHDC Kargil Council meeting this morning held in the presence of Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Vikas Kundal.
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As there was no other candidate in the fray, Khan was elected uncontested as Chairman-cum-CEC of the LAHDC Kargil.
He will now nominate four Executive Councilors in the rank of Deputy Ministers and allocate portfolios among them. The Chairman has the rank of Cabinet Minister.
Feroz Khan was elected as MLA in 2008 Assembly elections in the State from Zanskar Assembly segment and later remained as Minister of State in Omar Abdullah-led National Conference-Congress coalition Government. However, he didn’t contest 2014 Assembly elections.
As per the National Conference-Congress agreement reached yesterday, both the parties will have two Executive Councilors each. On the newly created post of the Deputy Chairman, the two parties will take a call when the order is formally issued by the State Government.
Sources said since NC and Congress had together crossed majority mark in the Council, no other candidate was in fray for the post of the Chairman-cum-CEC LAHDC Kargil.
Soon after his election, Feroz Khan assumed charge of the post of Chairman-cum-CEC of LAHDC Kargil.
He told reporters later that a decision to form joint local Government by the National Conference and Congress was taken keeping in view the interests of Kargil and stability of the Council.
Pointing out that previous Council was mired into instability and saw three Chairpersons, Khan hoped that present Council will be stable as it enjoyed support of 18 out of 30 Councilors of the LAHDC Kargil, two more than the majority mark.
To a question as to whether NC-Congress alliance for the LAHDC Kargil will also be repeated in upcoming Parliament and later Assembly elections, Khan didn’t rule out such a possibility.
As reported exclusively by the Excelsior today, NC and Congress had yesterday entered into the alliance to form local Government in Kargil as no single party had secured majority in the Council.
NC had emerged as single largest party with 10 seats followed by Congress 8, PDP 2, BJP one and Independents five. Four Councilors were nominated by the Government taking the BJP tally to five.
Meanwhile, four nominated Councilors were today administered the oath by Principal District & Sessions Judge, Kargil, SK Bhagat.
They included Padma Dorjey, Zainab Bi, Stanzin Chosgyal and Leela Banoo.
Election in the LAHDC Kargil is held for 26 seats while four Councilors are nominated by the State Government. The nominated Councilors have the voting rights.
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