Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 28: Alliance partners—National Conference and Congress were locked in a neck-to-neck battle having won 12 and 11 seats respectively while the Independent candidates secured three other seats in the keenly contested election for 26 seats Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil after the counting was completed tonight.
Two main Opposition parties, PDP and BJP, who had contested majority of seats for third election to LAHDC Kargil, drew a blank like the outgoing body in which National Conference had 18 seats and Congress 8.
Lok Sabha member from Ladakh Parliamentary constituency, Ghulam Hassan Khan won as Councilor from Silmoo seat on National Conference mandate while sitting Chief Executive Councilor Kachoo Ahmad Ali Khan won as Independent candidate, backed by National Conference, from Yourbaltok seat with impressive margins. Former CEC Asgar Ali Karblaie won on Congress mandate from Pashkum.
Of 26 elected seats in LAHDC Kargil, election was held for 24 seats on August 22 as two Independent candidates had already been elected unopposed.
Official sources told the Excelsior that out of 24 seats, the counting for which was taken up this morning and completed late tonight, Congress won 10 seats and National Conference 8. Six Independent candidates emerged victorious, three of whom had been supported by National Conference and one by the Congress.
Out of two Independent candidates elected unopposed earlier, one of them was supported by NC.
The final tally of NC stood at 12 (eight candidates who won on party mandate and four Independents, who captured the seats with the party support, three of them by elections and one uncontested) while the tally of Congress stood at 11 (10 of its own plus one Independent supported by the party). Three neutral Independents were elected to the Council (two by election while another had already been declared winner as uncontested).
The LAHDC Kargil has strength of 30. Twenty-six of them are elected while the Government had the powers to nominate four members of different categories to the Council. However, the nominated members didn’t have the voting right.
Sources said both NC and Congress would require support of the Independent candidates to secure simple majority of 14 in the Council. While NC with 12 seats would require support of two neutral Independent candidates, Congress with 11 seats would need support of all three neutral Independents to take majority.
According to sources, sitting MP from Ladakh seat Ghulam Hassan Khan, who had won Lok Sabha election as an Independent candidate but later affiliated with NC, was in the race for the post of the CEC along with sitting CEC Kachoo Ahmad Ali Khan from National Conference while Asgar Ali Karblaie and others were in race for the coveted post from Congress.
Three Buddhist candidates Skalzang Wangail and Stenzin Sonam won Padum and Cha seats for Congress while Tsering Angdus won Karsha seat for National Conference. Though National Conference and Congress were coalition partners in the State Government, both had contested elections against each other and in fact were involved in very close fight for capturing power in LAHDC Kargil, which had come into effect in 2003 and this was third election of the Council having a term of five years.
Sources said five to six candidates were declared elected with a very close margin ranging from 15 to 60 votes.
Two major opposition parties of the State—the PDP and the BJP had also put up candidates on majority of seats but none of their candidates could make it to the council. Senior leaders of the two parties had canvassed for their candidates.
Eight Councilors elected on NC mandate included Ghulam Hassan Khan, MP (Silmoo), Syed Abbad (Taisuru), Ghulam Rasool (Bimbhat), Ghulam Mohammad (Tarkechi), Tsering Angdus (Karsha), Mohammad Abbas (Kargil Town), Mohammad Raza (Choskore) and Aga Syed Abbas (Thangdumbur Sankoo).
Ten Councilors elected on Congress mandate were Asgar Ali Karblaie (Pashkum), Mohammad Shaffi (Randeer Pura Drass), Mohammad Ali (Shargole), Skalzang Wangail (Padum), Stenzin Sonam (Cha), Akhoon Hussain (Chuliskamboo), Liaquat Ali (Poye), Zakir Hussain (Shakar), Mohammad Ismaiel (Barsoo) and Sheikh Mohammad Hussain (Thasgam).
Six Independent candidates elected as Councilors today were Mohammad Hussain (Lankarcha), supported by Congress, Kachoo Ahmad Ali Khan (Yourbaltok), Mohammad Haneefa (Baroo), both backed by National Conference and Sheikh Mohammad Hussain (neutral Independent). Names of two Independent candidates from Trespole (backed by NC) and Chiktan (neutral Independent) were not clear due to some confusion in the list of the winners.
Two Independent candidates, who had won uncontested were Aga Syed Hassan (Saliskot), backed by NC and Mohammad Amir (Stakchay Khangral), who was neutral.
There was no woman among the winners.
The CEC enjoyed status of Cabinet Ministers while Executive Councilors appointed by him had the status of Minister of State. Deputy Commissioner, Kargil served as CEO to the Council.
Voting for the elections was held on August 22. The new LAHDC Kargil had to be in place before September 2.
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