National Conference-Congress alliance won a landslide victory in the LAHDC (Kargil) polls

In the first ever polls held since Ladakh was carved out as a UT in 2019, the NC, which is part of INDI alliance bagged 12 seats followed by Congress with nine and the BJP two

Chandra Maurya

October 8, 2023

In the first ever polls held since Ladakh was carved out as a UT in 2019, the NC, which is part of INDI alliance bagged 12 seats followed by Congress with nine and the BJP two

BJP and Independents won two seats each

A pre-poll alliance between the National Conference and the Congress party Sunday won a landslide victory, in the maiden Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil polls, held in the region after the Abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and reorganization of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

The National Conference which contested a total number of 17 out of 26 council seats recorded a victory on 12 seats while its alliance partner won a total number of 9 seats.

Two seats each were won by the BJP and Independent candidates till the time of filing the report.

The counting for the lone seat was in progress. The council has a total of 30 seats out of which elections were held on 26 seats. Four councilors are nominated by the administration.

Thank you, Kargil: Omar Abdullah

Soon after the alliance partners won the landslide victory Omar Abdullah first of all posted a Thank you note. “Thank you, Kargil’ Omar wrote from his handle on X (earlier Twitter).

To celebrate the thumping majority a large number of party workers from the Congress and the National Conference came out on the streets and bursted crackers and danced on the drum beats.

In New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate posted on X, “The people of Ladakh- Kargil have spoken decisively. A resounding mandate for us in the Ladakh-Kargil Autonomous Hill Council elections – the first electoral exercise since the abolition of Art 370. In August Rahul Gandhi ji’s Bharat Jodo Yatra all across Leh-Ladakh met and assured the people of the region that their voices matter“.

In a separate statement Jammu and Kashmir National Conference said the people of Kargil handed over a resounding defeat to the BJP on Sunday.

“In celebration of our strong alliance with the Congress party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference is delighted to announce its victory in the LAHDC Kargil elections. This result sends a message to all forces and parties that have, undemocratically and unconstitutionally, divided the state of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh without the consent of its people. This victory belongs to the people of Zanskar, Kargil, and Drass, who have decisively endorsed the National Conference-Congress alliance.”

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the elected councilors, recognizing their dedication to serving the people. We also extend our gratitude to the leadership of the Congress party for their unwavering support“.

The National Conference statement further stated, “These election results should serve as a wake-up call for the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is time to cease hiding behind the Raj Bhawan and unelected representatives and, instead, acknowledge the people’s rightful desire for a democratically elected government in Jammu and Kashmir. Democracy demands the voices of the people be heard and respected”.

We also take this opportunity to extend our sincere appreciation to our dedicated party workers who toiled day and night, persevering through challenging conditions, to ensure that on the day of reckoning, the JKNC flag would soar high. JKNC remains committed to the principles of democracy, justice, and unity, working tirelessly to uphold the rights and aspirations of the people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Congress secured 34 percent of total votes polled

The Congress party may have won three seats less than the National Conference but when it came to the percentage vote share garnered the party stood ahead of the National Conference.

Out of a total number of 74026 votes polled on October 4 to elect 26 councillors the congress party garnered the highest share of 34 percent of total votes polled followed by 29 percent by the National Conference, Independent candidates garnered roughly 18 percent of votes, and a little over 12 percent of votes were secured by the Bharatiya Janta Party.

A total number of 85 candidates were in the fray.

In the outgoing council, National Conference had won 10 seats followed by Congress 8 seats, PDP 2 seats, BJP 1, and 5 Independents.

During the month-long poll campaign, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah had urged voters to send a “clear message to reject or accept” the NDA government’s August 5, 2019 decision.

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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