Ladakh-Kargil polls: National Conference-Congress combine registers absolute majority, wins 22 seats

In a significant development, the alliance comprising the National Conference and the Congress secured a decisive victory in the 5th general elections of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) held on Sunday.

The National Conference emerged as the largest party, winning 12 seats, while the Congress secured 10 seats in these elections. This marked a historic occasion as it was the first-ever poll held since Ladakh was designated as a Union Territory (UT) in 2019, as confirmed by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

These election results carry particular importance within the Indian political landscape, as they bolster the position of the INDIA alliance. This alliance was forged to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP managed to secure 2 seats, while the Independent Democratic Party (INDP) also won 2 seats, according to officials who disclosed the results on Sunday.

The 5th Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil election took place on October 4, with the National Conference, Congress, and the BJP in a closely contested race.

It is noteworthy that the administration nominates four members with voting rights out of the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General Secretary in Charge of Communications, extended congratulations to the party for their lead in the LAHDC election. He attributed this success to the Bharat Jodo Yatra outreach by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Ladakh in September, emphasizing the impact of this outreach on the election results.

“Despite the national media’s neglect, the trends indicate that Congress is convincingly leading in the elections for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, with a near-total defeat of the BJP. This is directly attributed to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ladakh last month,” Ramesh shared on a social platform.

Congress leader KC Venugopal also conveyed his congratulations to the victorious candidates in the LAHDC Election. He expressed optimism that these results mark the beginning of a new era of democracy in Ladakh and Kargil.

“We have achieved a resounding victory in the Ladakh-Kargil Autonomous Hill Council elections after a decade! Together with our INDIA partner National Conference, we have swept the entire region in its first election after the abrogation of Article 370,” Venugopal proclaimed on a social platform.

He further underscored the significance of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in instilling faith in the people of Ladakh and Kargil, emphasizing the concern of Congress and the INDIA alliance for the issues faced by the region’s residents and their democratic aspirations.

The counting of votes for the LAHDC elections commenced amid stringent security measures on Sunday, with a noteworthy turnout of 65 percent of voters in the Kargil district during the third round of voting for the 5th LAHDC elections.

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