1.84 lakh electorates to decide fate of 3 candidates
*5 PSs in Kargil need airlifting of EVMs, staff
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 9: Kargil district holds the key to Ladakh Parliamentary constituency not only in terms of candidates but also the electorates as it has over 7000 votes more than Leh district while Leh district has a unique feature where women voters dominate their male counterparts.
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Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, which is lone Parliamentary constituency in the Union Territory of Ladakh, has 1,84,803 electorates in total and is among very few Lok Sabha constituencies which have less than two lakh voters. It will go to polls in fifth phase on May 20.
As per the official data available with the Excelsior, out of a total electorates of 1,84,803 in Ladakh seat; 92,689 are male and 92,114 are females. Leh district has 88877 voters and Kargil 95926.
“Since voters in Ladakh Parliamentary constituency are mostly divided on the basis of religion, Kargil district has already gained advantage over Leh district with 7050 extra electorates,” the political observers opined.
Leh is Buddhist dominated district while Kargil has majority population of Shia Muslims.
Further, out of three candidates in total; two are from Leh district while Kargil has only one candidate. Observers believed that split of votes in Leh will give advantage to lone candidate from Kargil.
Tashi Gyalson (BJP) and Tsering Namgayal (Congress) are the two candidates from Leh while Mohammad Haneefa Jan, who is fighting the election as an Independent candidate with the backing of National Conference and Congress units of Kargil, is lone contestant from the Kargil district.
The BJP won Ladakh Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2019 when there were two candidates from Kargil district.
In 2014, BJP candidate Thupstan Chhewang won the seat in four-cornered contest with Tsering Samphel in fray from Congress and Ghulam Raza and Syed Mohammad Kazim, both Independents from Kargil.
In 2019 also, BJP candidate Jamyang Tsering Namgayal emerged victorious in fight among four candidates, three others being Rigzin Spalbar (Congress), Sajjad Kargili and Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai, both Independents from Kargil.
Among total electorates of 88875 in Leh district, there are 44008 male and 44867 females. There are 850 additional women voters in Leh district as compared to the men. However, in Kargil district, which has total 95928 voters, 48675 are male and 47253 are females.
Ladakh Parliamentary constituency has 1127 People with Disabilities (PwDs) and 1570 elderly electorates.
A total of 598 Polling Stations have been set up in the constituency.
Officials said five Polling Stations in Kargil district will require airlifting of polling staff and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for which the Election authorities and administration have already tied-up with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
These Polling Stations include Itchu, Shun, Shaday, Ralakung and Phema.
“Some Polling Stations in Nubra area of Leh district are also inaccessible but the administration is of the view that two to three days ahead of polling when men and material have to be transported to the Polling Stations, the road network will be clear and there may not be the need of air sorties,” the officials said.
However, a contingency plan is in place in case airlifting of Polling Staff and EVMs is required.
Among three contestants, BJP candidate Tashi Gyalson is sitting Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh while Congress nominee Tsering Namgayal is Leader of Opposition in the same Council. Both of them belonged to Leh district of Kargil.
Mohammad Haneefa Jan, Independent, who is lone candidate from Kargil district, was district president of National Conference and is in the fray with the backing of National Conference and Congress units of district Kargil.
National Conference unit of Kargil has resigned en-masse after getting directive from the party high command to support Congress candidate Tsering Namgayal instead of Jan as Ladakh seat had gone to the Congress under INDIA block seat sharing agreement.
As per the agreement, NC and Congress will contest three Lok Sabha seats each in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. NC is contesting Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri constituencies while the Congress was allotted, Jammu-Reasi, Udhampur-Doda and Ladakh seats.
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