Akhoon says won’t quit, will face & win trust vote
*Breach of agreement, majority is with us: Nassir Munshi
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU May 14: Ruling National Conference and Congress today split in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil in the Union Territory of Ladakh even though they moved no-confidence motion against sitting NC Chairman-cum-CEC Dr Mohd Zaffar Akhoon with majority but the latter refused to budge and expressed confidence that he will sail through when the trust vote is taken up in the House.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
On a day of hectic developments, two Congress Executive Councilors (Ministers) resigned from the Hill Council. Besides Chairman, there were four Executive Councilors-two each from NC and Congress.
Click here to watch video
A total of 16 Councilors signed the no-confidence motion against Dr Akhoon, which is majority in the Council of 30 members. They include nine from Congress, five from NC and two Independents whom Congress claimed as their Associate Members. NC has 12 Councilors, Congress 10 and BJP six (two elected plus four nominated) besides there are two Independents. Twenty six Councilors are elected while four are nominated by the UT administration.
As per the power-sharing agreement reached between NC and Congress before Hill Council elections, both parties had to share the post of Chairman-cum-CEC for two and half years each. The first term went to the NC and Dr Akhoon was elected as the Chairman. The power-sharing agreement was announced by then senior NC leader and now J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The no-confidence motion was moved by the Councilors before the Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, who acts as CEO to the Hill Council. As per the Council Act and Rules, the DC has to forward no-confidence motion to the UT administration and then a meeting has to be convened within a month to decide fate of no-trust motion. If the no-confidence motion is passed, the new Council is to be elected in the same meeting.
Dr Zaffar Akhoon, CEC-cum-Chairman of the Council and a senior NC leader told the Excelsior that he will prove majority in the House if the trust vote is taken up.
To a question on not resigning despite power-sharing agreement between NC and Congress, Dr Akhoon said the things are not normal at this stage as five new districts have been created. Moreover, he said, the majority is with him notwithstanding the 16 signatures in the no-trust vote submitted today to the Deputy Commissioner.
“New districts have been created. Delimitation has to take place. How long the Council will last? The democracy has to be respected,” the sitting Chairman-cum-CEC said, adding he will face the trust-vote if it is taken up and prove majority as development of Kargil is his main priority.
On the other, senior Congress leader and Councilor Nassir Munshi, who is the party candidate for Chairman-cum-CEC, told the Excelsior that 16 Councilors have signed the no-confidence motion though only 10 are required to sign the document which means they have now majority in the Council which has strength of 30.
“We requested Dr Akhoon to quit as the Chairman to clear the decks for election of Congress Chairman-cum-CEC when he completed his two and half years term on April 18, 2026,” Munshi said, adding he refused to do so and after waiting for several days both parties decided to move no-confidence motion against him.
Munshi said two Congress Executive Councilors-Kacho Mohd Feroz and Zakir Hussain have also resigned from the Council.
As per the figures, Congress has 10 Councilors in the Kargil Hill Council and nine have signed the no-confidence motion while NC has 12 Councilors and only five endorsed the document. Besides, two Independent Councilors have also signed the no-trust vote.
Going by the present scenario, Dr Akhoon enjoys the support of seven Councilors of his own party, the NC and one from Congress. BJP has six Councilors and the party is yet to open its cards. It may take a decision ahead of the no-trust vote, the sources said.
The figures show split in both NC and Congress, the allies in Kargil Hill Council.
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.
Meanwhile, Ladakh MP Mohd Hanifa Jan, who won the election as Independent candidate but oves allegiance to NC along with other senior NC and Congress leaders breifed the media on the no-confidence motion in Kargil.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
