Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 26: Just 10-day old PDP-Congress alliance in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil crumbled today as the Council was reduced to minority following withdrawal of support to it by three Councilors, belonging to the Congress.
In the House of 30, the Congress backed Council headed by Independent Councilor Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan had support of 16 members, which has been reduced to 13 after three Congress Councilors today withdrew their support to the present dispensation/local Government (LAHDC Kargil).
The Councilors, who have withdrawn support to the Council included Zakir Hussain (Shakar constituency), Liyakat Ali (Poyen constituency) and Skalzang Wangyal (Padum constituency), all belonging to the Congress.
The previous Council, backed by the National Conference and headed by Independent Councilor Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan, had been reduced to minority on June 19 when present Chairman/CEC Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan had withdrawn support to the Council. Though Jan headed Council then had support of 15 Councilors, Deputy Commissioner, Kargil Kacho Hassan Khan had immediately seized power of the Council including Chairman/CEC and four Executive Councilors.
However, this time, even after withdrawal of support to Kacho headed Council by three Congress Councilors, which has reduced strength of the majority party to 13 as against minimum majority of 16 in the House of 30, the Deputy Commissioner hasn’t issued any order freezing powers of the Council.
When contacted on phone, DC Kargil Kacho Hassan Khan told the Excelsior that the law and rules that govern the LAHDC Kargil will be followed in letter and spirit before taking further course of action.
“I have received the resignation letter by three Congress Councilors, which was being studied. We would act as per the rules,’’ the Deputy Commissioner Kargil, who happens to be Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Council, said.
Resignation by three Congress Councilors, who described PDP-Congress alliance in Kargil as “unholy’’, came just a day after the Chairman/CEC nominated his four Executive Councilors, who enjoy the status of Deputy Ministers. Three of them were Independents while only Stanzin Sonam (Lungchak Councilor) belonged to the Congress.
Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan was elected as Chairman/CEC of the LAHDC Kargil on September 16 with 16 Councilors attending the election process, constituting razor thin majority in 30-member Council, while 14 others including those from National Conference and Independents including then Chairman/CEC Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan had abstained.
The Congress despite having 11 Councilors and single largest party in the LAHDC Kargil, had supported Independent Councilor Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan, a PDP leader for the post of Chairman/CEC, which was widely described in political circles as the PDP-Congress alliance in Kargil though the PDP is running coalition Government with the BJP in the State.
With three Congress members withdrawing support to the Council in writing and send letter of withdrawal of support to the DC Kargil, the Council has once again been reduced to minority with only 13 Councilors left with Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan.
Addressing a joint press conference in Kargil, three Councilors, who today withdrew their support to the Council including Zakir Hussain, Liyakat Ali and Skalzang Wangyal described PDP-Congress alliance in Kargil as “unholy’’.
“We had thought it would be the Congress Council of Kargil. However, after four Executive Councilors were nominated yesterday, it has become clear that it is the Council of Independents. Congress has no say in it. Some of the senior Congress leaders, have misled the party,’’ they said.
They pointed out that out of four Executive Councilors nominated by the Chairman, three were Independent Councilors and only one Stanzin Sonam was from Congress. Sonam was taken from minority quota as there was no other Independent Councilor from that community, they said.
Asserting that Congress has no weightage in the present Council, the three Councilors said they have taken the decision to withdraw support to the present Council in the interest of the party as some of their leaders had taken wrong decision (to support the PDP headed Council).
Describing Congress as “fractured party’’, they said some of the leaders have become Hitler and have been ignoring loyal and dedicated leaders and workers in the party. They, however, made it clear that they were part and parcel of the Congress and have not resigned from the party but have only withdrawn their support to the Council.
Asserting that they wouldn’t support the National Conference, they described NC and Congress as two parts of the same coin.
The LAHDC Kargil has been mired into controversies ever since September 2013 elections due to fractured mandate. In the election held for 26 seats, Congress had won 11 and NC 8 while seven others were Independents. Later, then Omar Abdullah regime had nominated four NC leaders to the Council as per the rules and procedure as the Council has provision of four nominations with its total strength at 30.
Congress leader Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie was elected first Chairman/CEC of the Council though NC had majority in the House then following intervention of NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah as Congress, which was then running coalition with the NC, was adamant on forming the Council.
As Karbalaie was elected as MLA on Congress mandate in November 2014 election, NC backed Independent Councilor Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan was elected as the new Chairman/CEC. In June, Independent Councilor Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan withdrew support to Jan. In the election held on September 16, Kacho was elected as Chairman/CEC with the backing of Congress.
In three years of present Council, the LAHDC Kargil has seen three chairpersons so far. The LAHDC Kargil still has term of two years.
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