Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 27: Political drama enacted by three Congress Councilors of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAH-DC), Kargil, ended within 24 hours with the trio withdrawing their letter of withdrawal of support to the Council headed by Independent Councilor Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan and backed by the Congress, which they had sent yesterday to the Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, who happens to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Council.
A fresh letter signed by the three Councilors and addressed to DC Kargil Kacho Hassan Khan today said they have withdrawn their yesterday’s letter through which they had withdrawn support to the LAHDC Kargil, reducing it to minority.
“We have withdrawn our yesterday’s letter,” the three Councilors– Zakir Hussain (Shakar constituency), Liyakat Ali (Poyen constituency) and Skalzang Wangyal (Padum constituency), all belonging to the Congress, told a press conference today in Kargil in the presence of another Congress Councilor from GM Pore, Sheikh Hussain Rayesi, former Executive Councilor.
With this, the crisis of losing majority hovering over 11-day long Congress backed Council headed by Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan, has come to end as withdrawal of support by three Councilors would have reduced the Council to minority. Khan led Council has support of 16 Councilors in the House of 30. Rest 14 Councilors were with outgoing National Conference backed Council headed by Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan.
In the press conference, the Congress Councilors, who had yesterday described PDP-Congress alliance in LAHDC Kargil as “unholy”, today said they had highlighted their grievances by democratic way, which the high command has now addressed.
“Our party leadership called us yesterday and assured to address our grievances. We are satisfied with response of the high command. The misunderstandings have been cleared,” they told newspersons while expressing full faith in the leadership of the Congress.
Declaring that they would work for strengthening the Council, the Congress Councilors said their major motive was development of Kargil.
The LAHDC Kargil has been mired into controversies ever since September 2013 elections due to fractured mandate. In the election held for 26 seats, Congress had won 11 and NC 8 while seven others were Independents. Later, then Omar Abdullah regime had nominated four NC leaders to the Council as per the rules and procedure as the Council has provision of four nominations with its total strength at 30.
Congress leader Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie was elected first Chairman/CEC of the Council though NC had majority in the House then following intervention of NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah as Congress, which was then running coalition with the NC, was adamant on forming the Council.
As Karbalaie was elected as MLA on Congress mandate in November 2014 election, NC backed Independent Councilor Haji Hanifa Mohammad Jan was elected as the new Chairman/ CEC. In June, Independent Councilor Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan withdrew support to Jan. In the election held on September 16, Kacho was elected as Chairman/CEC with the backing of Congress.
In three years of present Council, the LAHDC Kargil has seen three chairpersons so far. The LAHDC Kargil still has term of two years.
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