Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 14: Eleven National Conference Councilors headed by Kacho Ahmed Ali Khan, Councilor and party’s candidate for the post of Chief Executive Councilor in last September, today moved no-confidence motion against Congress led Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, which was presently headed by Haji Asgar Ali Karblaie.
The no-confidence motion required mandatory signatures of 10 Councilors i.e. one-third of total strength of the Council, which is 30 (26 elected plus four nominated). However, it was signed by 11 Councilors.
When Kacho Khan along with other Councilors went to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, he was not present in the office to receive the no-confidence motion.
A senior NC leader told the Excelsior on telephone from Kargil that no senior officer excepting a clerk was present in the office of the DC Kargil despite the fact that all senior officers were fully aware that the NC was going to submit the no-confidence motion against the Council today.
Later, Additional SP Kargil Mohammad Yunus Bhat and DySP Kargil Abdul Khalik reached the office of the DC Kargil and in their presence, the clerk received the no-confidence motion.
Signatories to the no-confidence motion included Kacho Ahmed Ali Khan, who had been projected by the NC as CEC candidate for LAHDC Kargil in September 2013 before the party allowed its coalition partner Congress to form the Council, Ghulam Hassan Khan, sitting Lok Sabha member from Ladakh, who has not given up his Council seat, Tsering Ando, Ghulam Rasool Naqvi, Mohammad Abbas, Syed Mujtabe, Syed Abbas Rizvi, Qazi Ghulam Mohammad, Sheikh Mohammad Raza, Mohammad Hanief and Syed Abbas Sanka.
After submitting the no-confidence motion against Congress led Council, the National Conference Councilors took out a rally from Islamia School Chowk in which NC vice president and Councilor Ghulam Rasool Naqvi and Islamiya School youth wing leader Inayat Ali came down heavily on the Congress saying their Council has failed to provide water, power and ration to the people.
They declared that they would field their own Lok Sabha candidate from Ladakh Parliamentary seat and would in no case accept the Congress sponsored candidate.
“Last year also, we had supported Ghulam Hassan Khan, sitting Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh and made him victorious. This year also, we would field our candidate and ensure his victory. We are not going to accept the Congress candidate,” they said.
The NC Councilors threatened that if their party issued any whip to them to vote in favour of Congress in the no-confidence motion, they would dissociate themselves from the party.
Aga Syed Kazmi, another NC leader charged the Congress backed Council with undertaking no development works in Kargil since the Council was formed about six months back.
Congress Councilor Haji Asgar Ali Karblaie, who is pitching for Congress mandate from Ladakh seat, presently heads LAHDC, Kargil Council as its CEC.
The National Conference Councilors claimed that they have majority in 30 members Council and would prove it when the Deputy Commissioner Kargil, who happened to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Council, convene the meeting to prove the majority. They claimed the support of 16 Councilors including four Councilors nominated by the Government in September, all of whom have the voting right.
Kacho Khan said both NC and its ally Islamia School were monitoring the performance of Karblaie for the last about six months but he has ‘failed’ on every front. “Karblaie failed in providing basic amenities to people of Kargil. People in Kargil are facing acute shortage of essential commodities like ration, kerosene oil, sugar and above all there is no electricity,” he added.
The NC Councilor added that National Conference, Kargil unit, had supported the Congress led LAHDC Kargil on the directions of party high command but with the passage of time, it turned out to be the marriage of inconvenience. “The NC was under tremendous pressure from Congress state leadership to make its Kargil unit support Congress led LAHDC Kargil. But it ultimately led to a political quagmire where we had no other option but to move a no confidence motion against LAHDC Kargil,” Mr Khan asserted.
“Presently we have 16 Councilors with us including eight Councilors elected on NC mandate, three Independent Councilors backed by Islamia School, Kargil, four nominated Councilors and one independent (Syed Arman) where as two other independent Councilor and one from Congress party have said they will extend their support,” Haji Mohammad Haneefa Jan, the NC councilor, claimed.
Meanwhile, Haji Inayat Ali, president youth wing of Islamia School accused National Conference of sidelining it while finalizing a seat sharing agreement for Lok Sabha polls with coalition partner Congress.
“The NC has ditched us. It did not take us on board while giving Ladakh Lok Sabha Parliamentary constituency to Congress. We have always supported its (NC) candidates be it Ghulam Hassan Khan who fought Lok Sabha elections last time, or its members of the Legislative Assembly from Ladakh. On the crucial juncture when we would have supported their candidate in Lok Sabha elections, the NC took a unilateral decision of handing over Ladakh Lok Sabha seat to Congress. This has compelled us to see other options,” Inayat Ali said.
Meanwhile, sitting CEC Haji Asgar Ali Karblaie charged the National Conference high command with enacting drama with Kargil unit of the party to move no-confidence motion against the Congress headed Council.
Karblaie, who is an influential member of socio-religious organisation Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust, Kargil, and a prominent Congress leader said the NC wants to field Ghulam Hassan Khan as an independent candidate in the Lok Sabha elections despite giving Ladakh seat to Congress under seat sharing agreement.
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