BJP bags 2, loses 3 narrowly, CEC candidate defeated
– Sitting Chairman triumphs, ex Chairman suffers setback; 3 Exe Councillors lose
– NC distt chief faces shock defeat, Cong chief makes it to Council
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 8: Like 2018, the National Conference today emerged as single largest party in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil elections winning 12 out of 26 seats for which elections were held on October 4 while Congress emerged victorious on 10 seats.
Though BJP won two seats, it lost three seats with a margin of less than 100 votes in Muslim dominated Kargil district while Independents bagged rest of the two seats.
BJP’s Chairman candidate Haji Inayat Ali, former Chairman of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir’s Legislative Council, lost the election from Poyen seat to National Conference while sitting Chairman from NC Feroz Khan was re-elected from Silmoo.
Four Councillors to be nominated by the UT Government (with voting rights) in the House of 30 will take the BJP tally to six.
This was second major election in Ladakh after it was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and made the Union Territory on August 5, 2019. The first election after the UT was held for LAHDC Leh in October 2020 in which the BJP secured absolute majority in Buddhist dominated district.
Though no single party reached close to majority mark of 16, the National Conference and Congress have already agreed for post-poll alliance to keep the BJP away from power though the two parties contested elections against each other on most of the seats.
Combined tally of National Conference and Congress stood at 22, six more than the majority mark. Click here to watch video
The BJP was banking heavily on the victory of half a dozen Independent candidates to form the City Government in Kargil but its plans fell apart as only two Independent candidates managed to win as against five in the outgoing Council.
The NC and Congress increased their tally by two seats each while BJP doubled its tally as compared to 2018 elections when NC bagged 10 seats, Congress eight and BJP one. Independents got five seats in 2018 as against two this time.
Major loser was the PDP of Mehbooba Mufti which won two seats in 2018 but was unable to field even a single candidate in the elections this time as both of its Councillors had joined the BJP. AAP contested four seats but failed to open its account.
National Conference leader and outgoing Chairman of the LAHDC Leh Feroz Khan won Silmoo seat again polling 1638 votes as against 665 of Congress candidate Mohammad Ali Khan.
However, three sitting Executive Councillors and many Councillors lost the elections while one sitting Executive Councillor was re-elected. There can be maximum of four Executive Councillors in the City Government who enjoy the rank of Minister.
Executive Councillor Mubarak Shah of National Conference lost to Abdul Samad of Congress at Rambirpora while his party colleague and another Executive Councillor Syed Abbass lost Taisuru seat after holding it four times to Abdul Hadi of Congress.
Third Executive Councillor to lose the seat was Mohsin Ali of BJP (who had switched over to the party from the PDP) from Chiktan constituency where Liaquat Ali Khan of the Congress emerged victorious.
However, sitting Executive Councillor Punchok Tashi of National Conference was re-elected from Padam seat defeating BJP’s Skalzang Wangyal.
The BJP retained Cha seat (which was the lone constituency it captured in 2018) and also captured Stakchay Khangral while losing Karsha, Padam and Shargole with less than 100 votes.
BJP leader Stanzin Lakpa was re-elected from Cha defeating Tenzin Sonam of Congress with a margin of 234 votes while his party colleague Padma Dorjey won Stakchay Khangral with a margin of 177 votes defeating Syed Hassan of Congress. Padma Dorjey was a nominated Councillor.
BJP candidate Mohsin Ali Chandan lost Shargole constituency to Mohammad Jawad of Congress with just 65 votes while another BJP contestant Rigzin Tsewang was defeated by Stanzin Jigmat of Congress at Karsha with a margin of 79 votes only. BJP lost Padam seat with just 54 votes as its nominee Skalzang Wangyal polled 1691 votes as against 1745 by Punchok Tashi of National Conference.
BJP’s candidate for the LAHDC Kargil Chairman’s post Haji Inayat Ali was defeated at Poyen constituency by NC’s Mohammad Amin who got 1322 votes while Ali polled 962 votes. Congress candidate Murtaza Ali secured 954.
Among the prominent losers were Kacho Ahmed Ali Khan, a former Chairman of the Council who was defeated at Yourbaltak as an Independent candidate by NC’s Manzoor-ul-Hassan who polled 1452 votes. Kacho got 1362 votes.
National Conference district president Mohammad Hanifa Jan lost in Baroo to Congress candidate Khadim Hussain. Khadim secured 1099 votes while Jan bagged 1033.
However, Congress district Nassir Munshi won Choskore seat getting 1447 votes while his National Conference rival Mohammad Raza managed only 1013 votes.
Besides sitting Chairman and NC leader Feroz Khan, his party colleague Dr Zaffar Hussain Akhoon, brother of former Cabinet Minister in erstwhile J&K Government Qamar Ali Akhoon, was also among the noted winners. He got 1403 votes to win Thasgam Thuina segment defeating Sheikh Mohammad Hussain of Congress who polled 1311 votes.
Mohammad Abass Adulpa won Kargil Town constituency for the National Conference for third consecutive term defeating Congress candidate Mohammad Hussain by a huge margin of nearly 1300 votes.
Two Independents who triumphed in the elections were Syed Ali who won Gund Mangalpur seat securing 1313 votes as against 978 polled by Mohammad Abass of Congress and Ghulam Mohammad who got the better of Congress candidate Ghulam Abass Wazir in Barsoo. Ghulam Mohammad took 1411 votes while Wazir polled 1183 votes.
The National Conference and Congress had won 18 seats last time (NC 10 and Congress eight) after contesting the elections separately but this time they were in alliance on some seats and tacit understanding on others and got 22 seats (NC 12 and Congress 10).
They have already decided to have post-poll alliance to together form the City Government.
Throughout the day, the winning candidates were seen taking out victory processions.
The NC and Congress leaders and elected Councillors are likely to meet in next couple of days to finalize formation of the Council. Though the two parties are likely to share four posts of Executive Councillors equally, a decision has to be taken on the post of Chairman-cum-CEC of the Council.
Constituency / Contesting Candidates / Party / Votes Polled / Status
Bhimbat BILAL AHMAD BJP 103
TALIB HUSSAIN INC 1895
ABDUL WAHID JKNC 1947 Won
SYED ASGAR SHAH INDEPENDENT 743
Padum SKALZANG WANGYAL BJP 1691
PUNCHOK TASHI JKNC 1745 Won
Stakchay Khangral PADMA DORJEY BJP 1007 Won
SYED HASSAN INC 830
GHULAM HUSSAIN JKNC 479
ASHRAF HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 242
GHULAM NABI INDEPENDENT 92
Taisuru ABDUL HADI INC 1717 Won
SYED ABBASS JKNC 1456
Pashkum AHMAD HUSSAIN AAP 130
KACHO MOHAMMAD FEROZ INC 1756 Won
MOHD ALI INDEPENDENT 1406
Rambirpora ABDUL SAMAD INC 1949 Won
FAYAZ AHMAD QARI BJP 545
MUBARAK SHAH NAGVI S JKNC 1374
Yourbaltak MOHD HASSAN PASHA BJP 439
MANZOOR UL HUSSAIN JKNC 1452 Won
KACHO AHMAD ALI KHAN INDEPENDENT 1362
Choskore BASHIR AHMAD BJP 174
NASIR HUSSAIN MUNSHI INC 1447 Won
MOHD RAZA JKNC 1013
Chiktan LIYAQUT ALI KHAN INC 850 Won
MOHSIN ALI BJP 489
SAJJAD HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 194
MOHD SALMAN INDEPENDENT 400
NIYAZ HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 433
Parkachik AGHA ANUL HUDA INC 2165 Won
GHULAM MOHAMMAD INDEPENDENT 1037
Barsoo ABDUL HANI BJP 51
GH ABASS WAZIR INC 1183
GH MOHMAD INDEPENDENT 1411 Won
Cha TENZIN SONAM INC 564
STANZIN LAKPA BJP 798 Won
Kargil Town MOHD HUSSAIN INC 668
MOHD ABASS ADULPA JKNC 1953 Won
MOHAMMAD RAZA INDEPENDENT 188
Baroo KHADIM HUSSAIN INC 1099 Won
MOHMAD HANEEFA JKNC 1033
ALI AKBAR INDEPENDENT 257
GHULAM MEHDI INDEPENDENT 424
KACHO AHMAD KHAN INDEPENDENT 44
Thasgam Thuina MOHD HASAN AAP 53
SHEIKH MOHD HUSSAIN INC 1311
MOHD JAFFER AKHOON JKNC 1405 Won
AKHUND SAFDAR ALI INDEPENDENT 195
Shakar ZAKIR HUSSSAIN INC 1339 Won
KACHOO SHAMEEM AHMAD KHAN INDEPENDENT 1001
Silmoo REGZIN GURMATH BJP 553
MOHD ALI KHAN INC 665
FEROZ AHMED KHAN JKNC 1638 Won
Poyen HAJI ANAYAT ALI BJP 962
MOHD HUSSAIN AAP 22
MURTAZA ALI INC 954
MOHD AMIN JKNC 1322 Won
Thangdumbur MOHD ALI BJP 519
ASHIQ ALI JKNC 1643 Won
Lankarchey KHAIRA BANOO AAP 36
MOHD SADIQ INC 786
MANSOOR HUSSAIN BJP 127
GHULAM HAIDER JKNC 1202 Won
SYED SHAMUSUDDIN INDEPENDENT 289
MAHMOOD HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 37
Trespone SYED MUJTABA JKNC 1292 Won
AHMED HUSSAIN INDEPENDENT 750
NAWAZ ALI INDEPENDENT 1106
Saliskut AHMAD HUSSAIN BJP 66
SYED HASSAN INC 944
MOHD SAJJAD JKNC 1144 Won
Gund Mangalpur MOHMAD ABASS INC 978
NASIR HUSSAIN BJP 67
SYED ALI INDEPENDENT 1313 Won
SYED MEHDI INDEPENDENT 418
MOHD ALI INDEPENDENT 72
Chuliskamboo KHATIJA BANOO INC 716
ALTAF HUSSAIN JKNC 1480 Won
REYAZ AHMAD KHAN INDEPENDENT 1173
Shargole MOHD JAWAD INC 1978 Won
MOHD ALI CHANDAN BJP 1913
STANZIN TARPOO INDEPENDENT 37
Karsha RIGZIN TSEWANG BJP 1430
STANZIN JIGMAT INC 1509 Won
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