Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 16: Ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gained another boost in Kargil district when its party leader and Independent Councilor Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan was today elected as new Chairman/Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil as 14 members of National Conference and its Independent allies stayed away from the election process on the ground that the Council issue was pending in the court of law.
Though the PDP and BJP are partners in the State Government and NC and Congress were united as opposition, it was unique combination witnessed in Kargil, where Independent Councilor and PDP leader was elected as the LAHDC Chairman/CEC with the support of 16 Councilors including 11 from Congress and five of their Independent allies, gaining razor thin majority in the House of 30.
On the other, eight NC Councilors including outgoing Chairman/CEC Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan and their six Independent allies, totaling 14, stayed away from the voting. Jan shot off a letter to Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Kacho Hassan Khan, who had been appointed as Election Authority and also serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the Council, describing the meeting called by him for election of new Chairman/CEC as “illegal” on the ground that entire issue was pending before the court of law.
Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Kacho Hassan Khan told the Excelsior on telephone from Kargil after conducting the election that Congress and its allies had yesterday proposed the name of Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan for the post of Chairman/CEC. However, the NC neither proposed any name for the post nor turned up for the meeting, thus, abstaining.
The Deputy Commissioner said since 16 Councilors attended the meeting and they constituted majority in the House of 30 members, Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan, an Independent Councilor from Yourbaltak, was declared elected as new Chairman/CEC of the LAHDC, Kargil. The Ladakh Affairs Department of the State Government has been informed about the election, he added.
Admitting that the NC had written a letter to him seeking deferment of the election, the DC Kargil said the election had been approved by the State Government and he had been appointed as the Election Authority. He said process of the election was over in 15 minutes.
Soon after his election as new Chairman/CEC, Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan told the Excelsior that he was an Independent Councilor but enjoyed support of both PDP and BJP (apart from the Congress) including Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Ladakh Affairs Department and Cooperatives Minister Chering Dorjey, a BJP leader from Ladakh.
“I am a worker of the PDP. I have support of the Islamiya School Kargil (ISK), a prominent religious body of the district. I have full support of the BJP too. I will gain support from Centre and State Governments and work for betterment of Kargil,” Kacho said.
Asserting that the people of Kargil were suffering due to “ineffectiveness” of the outgoing Council, Kacho said even the General Council meeting of the LAHDC Kargil hasn’t been held so far. “Soon after the election, I have asked the Deputy Commissioner to call the General Council meeting of Council on September 26 so that plan of Kargil was finalized and developmental works initiated,” he added.
Kacho said 10 Councilors of Congress and six Independents (including him) constituted majority in the Council. He said he will work with BJP led Centre and PDP-BJP coalition Governments in J&K for betterment and development of Kargil.
He said he had support of both PDP and BJP as well. “I have the support of Mehbooba Mufti. I have the support of Chering Dorjey. I hope they will support me in future as well for development of Kargil,” he added.
On the other hand, outgoing Chairman/CEC Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan, an Independent Councilor from Baroo in Kargil town, shot off a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, Kargil describing the election called by him today for the post of the Chairman as “illegal”.
Jan told the Excelsior that the High Court has only ordered conduct of floor test, which was done on August 27 and not any further process. However, he said, the DC Kargil not only declared results of the Council but also ordered fresh election of the Chairman/CEC, which was conducted today.
Jan said they would challenge what he called “illegal election” in the court of law.
There are 26 elected members in the LAHDC Kargil including 11 from Congress and eight from NC while seven other were Independent Councilors. Four were Nominated Councilors. The nominations had taken place during Omar Abdullah regime in October 2013. The PDP and BJP, the Alliance partners in J&K, have no presence in the LAHDC Kargil.
However, with just one Independent Councilor supporting the party, the PDP has managed to wrest control of the LAHDC Kargil from National Conference with the support of Congress and Independents. Prior to this, NC backed Independent MLA from Zanskar constituency in Kargil district, Bakir Hussain Rizvi had also sided with the PDP.
In neighbouring LAHDC, Leh, BJP had won two-third majority in the elections held early this year.
It may be mentioned here that NC backed Chairman/CEC Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan had lost the floor test on August 27 by 14-15 votes while one vote was held invalid. The results of the floor test were declared on September 2.
This is third election of Chairman/ CEC of present LAHDC/Kargil during three years term of the Council, who had been elected in September-October 2013 election. It still has two-year term remaining.
Congress leader Haji Asgar Ali Karblaie was first Chairman/ CEC of current Council. However, in 2014 election, he was elected as MLA from Kargil on Congress ticket. In his place, NC backed Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan was elected as the Chairman.
New Chairman Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan said he will nominate his four Executive Councilors in next 2-3 days. While Chairman enjoys rank of Cabinet Minister, his Executive Councilors have the rank of Deputy Ministers.
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