Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 24: Twenty seven candidates including 11 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed their nomination papers for October 17 elections to Ladakh Autono-mous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh on third day of nominations today. No nomination papers were filed on first two days.
Eleven candidates from the BJP also joined the electoral fray for the LAHDC Leh elections, which will be held on October 17. September 29 is last date for filing the nomination papers.
Official sources said at least 27 candidates today filed their nomination papers for the Council elections. A maximum of four candidates filed their papers in Thiksay constituency while three candidates each filed papers from Lower Leh and Sku-Markha constituencies.
Two candidates each filed their papers in six constituencies comprising Igoo, Khaltsi, Skurbuchan, Chushot, Upper Leh and Kungyam while one candidate each filed their nominations in Sakti, Phyang, Basgo, Temisgam and Saspol constituencies.
The BJP candidates, who filed their nomination papers today included Dr Sonam Dawa (Thiksay), Gyal P Wangyal (Sakti), Tsering Paldan (Igoo), Ven. Lobzang Nyantak (Upper Leh), Dorje Angchok (Lower Leh), Phuntsok Dorjay (Phyang), Tsering Wangdus (Saspol), Sonam Marup (Basgo), Lobzang Sherab (Khalsi), Mumtaz Hussain (Chuchot) and Tsering Murup (Tingmosgang).
Senior BJP leader and MLA Jammu West Sat Sharma CA accompanied some of the BJP candidates in Leh during filing of their nomination papers. He declared that the BJP was going to wrest the LAHDC, Leh Council from the Congress for the first time. He said the senior BJP leaders will campaign for their candidates in the Council elections.
Sources said majority of candidates were likely to file their nomination papers on September 28 and 29. Scrutiny of documents will take place on September 30 while the candidates can withdraw their nomination papers till October 2. Polling will be held on October 17 and counting on October 22.
The district administration of Leh has set up 274 polling stations covering all remote and hilly areas of mountain locked Leh for 26 constituencies to ensure that the people have easy access to cast their vote on October 17. An estimated 80,811 electorates were so far eligible for the voting to the Council elections to elect their 26 representatives.
Apart from election to 26 seats, the Government (after the elections) can nominate four Councilors to the LAHDC, Leh, taking its strength to 30.
The LAHDC Leh, which falls in entire Leh district of Ladakh region, has its 26 segments of the Council spread over two Assembly constituencies of Leh and Nobra. Leh Assembly segment has 67,757 electorates and 211 polling stations while Nobra has 13054 voters and 63 polling stations.
The LAHDC Leh had come into existence in 1995 after long drawn struggle of the Leh people for Union Territory (UT) status during the late PV Narasimha Rao regime. The Council had elections after every five years. This is fifth election for the Council, which have been dominated by the Congress barring once when Leh Union Territory Front (LUTF) had captured the Council as an apolitical front.
In the outgoing Council, the BJP had only four seats out of 26 while the Congress had won rest 22. After last year’s Assembly elections, the Congress had expelled one of the Councilor for contesting Assembly elections from Nobra against official party nominee.
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