NC-Cong alliance runs into rough weather
*Both parties confident on finding solution
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 4: The NC-Congress alliance in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil appears to have run into rough weather with Chairman-cum-CEC Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon refusing to quit even after completing of two and half years term to pave the way for swearing-in of the Congress CEC as per power sharing agreement reached between the two parties before formation of the Council.
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The power sharing agreement was announced by no less a person than then senior National Conference leader and now Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah under which the NC and Congress would head the Kargil Council for two and half years each. First term went to the NC and Dr Akhoon was elected as Chairman-cum-CEC on October 18, 2023. He completed his term on April 18, 2026 i.e. more than a fortnight ago.
Insiders told the Excelsior that Dr Akhoon has reportedly rejected the Congress demand for change of power.
“There are some reasons. Recently, five new districts have been created. Elections haven’t been held to Leh Council,’’ Dr Akhoon told the Excelsior.
Asked if Congress brings a no-confidence motion against him, he said he will face it or see when it comes. However, he refused to elaborate.
When approached for comments, senior Congress leader from Kargil Asgar Ali Karbalai said they are in talks with the National Conference on the issue of change of power.
“We are in talks. A meeting is scheduled,’’ he said.
Ladakh MP Hanifa Jan, who belongs to the NC, said there is no dispute between the two parties that require mediation. “We will take a decision in a day or two,’’ he said at a press briefing.
In the House of 30, National Conference has 12 seats and Congress 10. BJP and Independents have two seats each. Four Councilors are Nominated and all of them owe their allegiance to the BJP taking party’s tally to six. The majority mark is 16.
Besides the CEC-cum-Chairman, there are four Executive Councilors—two each from NC and Congress, who enjoy the rank of Minister. Two Executive Councilors from Congress are reportedly not attending the office since April 18 when two and half years term of the Council was completed and change of guard became due.
Kargil Youth Congress president Manzoor Akhoon has also reminded Dr Jaffer Akhoon about the commitments made before formation of the Council saying it was time for him to quit and others to come. He said the Coordination Committee of the two parties will sit and take decision on change of power.
The National Conference, as per the sources, is only four Councilors short of power on its own in the Kargil Hill Development Council and there are two Independents. If it can manage the support of two more Councilors, it can stay in the power.
The Member of Parliament from Ladakh Hanifa Jan also belongs to the National Conference though he won the election as an Independent candidate.
Election for Kargil Hill Council was held on October 4, 2023 while counting of votes took place on October 8. The Council was formed on October 18, 2023.
However, with formal creation of five more districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh, taking total numbers to seven, a new arrangement of the Councils is not ruled out. Previously, there were only two districts in Ladakh—Leh and Kargil and both had Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
Term of the Leh Council expired in October 2025 as fresh elections were not held to the body due to creation of three more districts from Leh. Two districts have been carved out of Kargil.
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