6-month extension or powers to DC only options after Nov 2
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 4: The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh is all set to miss the timely elections scheduled this month and delay would push the polls to April as Ladakh experiences extreme chill from November to March making the weather impossible for undertaking any kind of electoral exercise.
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Though situation has returned to normal post September 24 violence in which four civilians were killed and 90 others including 30 police and CRPF personnel were injured, the election process is nowhere in sight as term of the Hill Council, presently ruled by the BJP, is scheduled to expire on November 2.
For timely elections, the notification had to be issued between September 20 and 25 to conduct polls around October 27-28 and complete entire exercise by November 1 so that new Council was in place in time. However, the timeline has lapsed and there has been no effort by the Union Territory administration of Ladakh to undertake the exercise.
Moreover, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had announced five new districts for Ladakh in August 2024 and 33 percent reservation for women in Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils in December 2024. The districts are yet to be formally created with their headquarters, boundaries etc while 33 percent seats to be reserved in the Councils haven’t been identified so far.
Officials are of the view that elections in Leh were possible only in October or start of November as thereafter heavy snowfall and extreme cold weather starts in entire Ladakh and lasts till March-April making electoral exercise possible only by the end of April.
However, there has been a provision in the Hill Council Constitution for delay in elections by six months. During the period, either term of the Council can be extended or powers can be given to the concerned Deputy Commissioner.
“With no chance of timely elections to the Hill Council now, the Union Territory administration of Ladakh has to take a call in consultations with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on whether to extend term of the Council or accord powers to the Deputy Commissioner beyond November 2, 2025 when five-year term of the Council will expire.
The BJP has been in power in the Leh Hill Development Council for second consecutive term. It came to power for the first time in 2015 and retained power in 2020 with majority. Prior to that, the Hill Council was mostly ruled by the Congress.
In 2020, the notification for Leh Council elections was issued on September 18 and polling for 26 seats took place on October 16, counting on October 22 and entire election process was completed on October 27. The Council was sworn-in on November 2, 2020 and new Council had to be in place before this date.
Besides formal creation of new districts and 33 percent reservation to women, September 24 violence also became a major hurdle in conduct of the Hill Council elections.
It was on December 3, 2024 that the Union Home Ministry in a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) with Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), had announced 33 percent reservation for both Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils. However, even after 10 months, no order has been issued by the administration for undertaking an exercise to identity 33 percent seats to be reserved for the women in Leh Council where elections are due.
Since three new districts have been carved out of existing Leh district and two from existing Kargil district, the Home Ministry has to take call whether all seven new districts will get the Hill Councils or there will be a new mechanism in place.
Both Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils have 30 seats each. Of them, election is held for 26 seats while four Councilors are nominated by the UT administration. Taking 26 seats into account, eight or nine seats could be reserved for the women but for that an exercise is required to be undertaken by the administration for identification of seats to be reserved.
Elections to Kargil Hill Development Council were held in October 2023 with NC and Congress winning majority. Elections there are due in October 2028.
Meanwhile, LAB and KDA are reportedly waiting the MHA response to their demands raised for resumption of talks with the Central Government.
The talks were scheduled for October 6 in New Delhi but the LAB had called off the dialogue post September 24 violence demanding judicial inquiry into firing on protesters and release of all those arrested/detained after the violence including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
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