Will attend youth, sports functions
Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Aug 17: Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Rahul Gandhi reached here today on a two-day visit of the Union Territory of Ladakh to a warm welcome from the UT Congress leaders and workers.
The Congress leader arrived at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in the afternoon when he was given a warm welcome by Congress leaders and activists of the Ladakh Congress Committee and Youth Congress besides other wings of the party.
A large crowd had gathered outside the airport to catch a glimpse of the leader who during his Bharat Jodo Yatra was unable to visit Ladakh. He had said he would soon visit Leh.
Rahul met senior leaders at the Airport and later left for Grand Dragon Hotel, where he is scheduled to acclimatize for rest of the day before beginning with his rounds of meetings tomorrow. Click here to watch video
Rahul Gandhi will meet people and also senior Congress leaders and his visit will be confined to Leh district, the senior leaders said.
He is likely to interact with youth leaders in Leh tomorrow and is also expected to attend a sports function.
Rahul may also meet Ladakh UT Congress leaders to assess party’s performance as Lok Sabha elections are due in April and the Congress has lost lone Lok Sabha seat in Ladakh for two consecutive terms to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
As of now, the Congress leader has no plans to visit Kargil district of Ladakh where the party has tied up with National Conference for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil elections scheduled early next month.
During ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Rahul had given enough time to Jammu and Kashmir travelling from Lakhanpur to Srinagar but hadn’t visited the Union Territory of Ladakh then.
As per the party leaders, Rahul could hold detailed discussions with the UT level party leaders on how to win Ladakh Lok Sabha seat and strengthen the Congress.
The Congress leaders are likely to brief Rahul Gandhi about situation prevailing along Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh as he has been targeting the Central Government quite often on the issue.
Ladakh once used to be strong hold of the Congress with its complete dominance over Hill Council Leh for several terms. In 2014 Assembly elections when Ladakh was part of Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress won three out of four Assembly seats.
However, with the BJP forming Government at the Centre, it won Ladakh Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2019 and is also in power in Hill Development Council Leh for last two terms.
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