Cong loses CEC Kargil post to NC

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 13: The Congress today lost the post of Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil to National Conference by one vote.
National Conference candidate for post of the CEC, Haji Mohammad Hanifa Jan, an Independent Councilor from Baroo constituency polled 15 votes while his rival and Congress candidate Advocate Mohammad Aamir, also an Independent Councilor from Khangral got 14 votes in the Council of 30, which had one vacancy.
Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Dr Prasanna Ramaswamy, who had been appointed Election Authority by the Government and also serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the Council conducted the election and announced the results.
Official sources said all 29 Councilors attended the meeting held in Kargil at 11 am today. The voting took place on expected lines with 15 Councilors voting for the National Conference candidate and 14 for the Congress. The tally of NC and Congress (15 and 14 each) included the Independent Councilors affiliated with both the parties.
The election was held smoothly. Both the main contenders-NC and PDP had fielded Independent Councilors as their candidates for the posts of the CEC LAHDC Kargil. The PDP and BJP have no presence in the Council.
Haji Mohammad Hanifa Jan, who was elected as the CEC, would replace Congress leader Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie, who was heading the Council since September 2013. He had resigned last month before taking oath as MLA on March 17. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly on the Congress mandate from Kargil seat in last year’s Assembly elections.
Karbalaie had represented Pashkum constituency in LAHDC Kargil, which has also fallen vacant after his election as the MLA.
After his election, Hanifa Jan took charge as the CEC Kargil and pledged to work for development of Kargil under leadership and guidance of former MP Ghulam Hassan Khan and former CEC Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan.
Jan along with his supporters also held rally in Kargil after the election in which he declared that development of Kargil will be his sole objective by taking all stake holders into confidence. He said he will also meet the Government representatives very soon and seek their help for all-round development of Kargil.
The newly elected CEC will now appoint the new Executive Councilors and allot them portfolios.
Sources said if Congress managed to retain Pashkum seat vacated by Karbalaie, both NC and Congress will again be tied at 15 each. However, there were reports that the NC was trying to win over one Independent Councilor affiliated with the Congress by offering him the post of the Executive Councilor to gain clear majority in the Council and take party’s strength to 16.
The LAHDC Kargil has 26 elected Councilors and four nominated Councilors with total strength of 30. The nominated Councilors have the voting rights. Though Congress with the Independent candidates had gained majority during the elections in September 2013, the NC had nominated its four leaders as the Councilors to take its tally to 15.

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