Tasaduq Hussain
Ladakh, Oct 5: Election fever has gripped Leh district of Ladakh as political parties have started luring voters through campaigning to secure control over Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh.
For 26 constituencies of LAHDC, 164 candidates have filed nomination papers with Chushot being highest with 16 nominations followed by Turtuk 11 and Saspol 10 while as Panamik, Sakti and Khalsi witnessed least nominations of 3 candidates each.
Of the 164 candidates, 44 are independent candidates, 43 belong to Congress and 43 to BJP.
The parties have started the political campaigning in the cold desert for the LADHC election.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesman, Rinchen Namgyal said the the party will stand for constitutional safeguard whether in power or opposition and “our focus will be the basic requirements like development, health, education and so on”.
“We have fielded only 18 candidates out of 26 seats and many BJP men have joined AAP that include a sitting councilor from upper Leh, Mandal president from maximum places and youth presidents have joined AAP in recent days and the approx figure would be nearly 400,” he said.
Tsering Namgyal, one of the candidates of Congress who is also Leh district president for congress, said the party will go with public agendas in the LADHC polls and all that council requires and need to be done also there is nothing concrete about the constitutional safeguard from administration including the jobs.
About the resignation of former CEC, Rigzin Spalbar who was party’s senior leader, he said, there are some personal reason and he has mentioned in the resignation that he will work to strengthen the stand for the demand of 6th schedule but morally and mentally he is with the congress also I reckon he’s still with the party.
To a question about the congress losing foothold in Ladakh, he said, “We are going to the people and telling them what needs to be done. What has been left also the lags of administration and union government in running the region and people do understand us.”
Ashok Koul, general secretary (Org), Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), camping in Leh for past many days said, “Our agenda for the LADHC election is very clear we have already given UT status to the region and the developmental works also the hill council budget has been hiked from 55 to 250 crore.”
He said they have commenced their poll campaigning under proper guidelines and protocols in view of the Covid pandemic and will continue with the same and people have shown good response to BJP villagers in particular.
To a query about the mass resignation including the sitting councilor, he said there is nothing like that but one has resigned citing no mandate for the election and it happens during election and all those who don’t get a ticket can say anything. (KNO)
Poll fever grips Leh; 164 candidates in fray for LADHC polls
