Fresh elections after new distts, women reservation
*Constitution permits extension, powers to DC
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 25: With five-year term of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh set to expire on November 1, the Union Territory administration of Ladakh in consultations with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is likely to assign powers of the Council to a local officer or the Deputy Commissioner, who officiates as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the Council.
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The Council was constituted on November 2, 2020 and will complete five-year term on November 1, 2025. However, since elections to the new Council haven’t been announced in view of various factors including creation of five new districts in the Union Territory which are yet to take practical shape, the only elected body in Leh district will also cease to exist as the Municipalities and Panchayats had completed their term in November-December 2023.
Officials told the Excelsior that there has been a provision to extend term of the Council by six months or assign powers of the Council to the Deputy Commissioner for the same period till further elections are held.
However, they said, in view of unrest in Leh post September 24 violence in which four civilians were killed and 90 others including some security personnel were injured, the UT administration in consultations with the MHA may decide to assign powers of the Council to a local officer.
A decision to this effect is expected to be taken in next few days as there is just one week left for term of the Council to expire. The BJP has been ruling the Council for past two terms. The BJP also won Ladakh Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2019 but lost in 2024.
Assigning powers of the Council to an officer or extending its term by six months will give the administration time till May 2, 2026 to complete the election process. With harsh winter season about to set-in, the elections in Leh are possible only in the middle or end of April.
The MHA on August 25, 2024 approved five new districts for Ladakh and on December 3, 2024 announced 33 percent reservation for women in the twin Hill Councils of Leh and Kargil. Three new districts were announced for Leh and two for Kargil.
However, neither the districts have been formally created even after 14 months of announcement nor any Committee was set up to identify 33 percent seats to be reserved for the women.
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.
Sources said fresh elections are likely to be held only after new districts are in place with 33 percent reservation for women.
Both Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils have 30 seats each. Of them, elections are 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.
It may be mentioned here that Leh was rocked by violence on September 24 during protest called by youth wing of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) demanding pre-ponement of talks with the MHA which, otherwise, were scheduled for October 6. Four civilians were killed and 90 others were injured in the violence.
The LAB and KDA then refused to attend October 6 meeting. However, following announcement of judicial inquiry into the violence by the MHA, the LAB and KDA attended the Sub Committee meeting in New Delhi on October 22 which was described by twin bodies of Leh and Kargil as “very fruitful’’.
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