SRINAGAR: Vote counting for the 26 seats of the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) in Kargil is underway amidst tight security. Congress has won 8 seats, with the National Conference securing 4, the BJP 2, and 1 seat going to an Independent candidate.
INC Candidate Zakir Hussain won Shakar Constituency with a voting margin of 338 votes. He bagged 1339 votes, followed by Kacho Shameem Ahmad Khan (Independent) with 1001 votes. A total of 2354 votes were cast.
JKNC Candidate Feroz Ahmad Khan won the Silmoo Constituency with a voting margin of 973 votes. He garnered 1638 votes, outpacing Mohammad Ali Khan from the INC, who received 665 votes, and Regzen Gutmath from the BJP, securing 553 votes. A total of 2878 votes were cast in this constituency.
Similarly, JKNC Candidate Mohd Jaffar Akhoon emerged victorious in the Thasgaam Thuiana Constituency with a slender margin of 94 votes. He amassed 1405 votes, narrowly defeating Sheikh Mohammad Hussain of the INC, who received 1311 votes, and Independent Candidate Akhund Safder Ali, with 195 votes. A total of 2973 votes were cast in this constituency.
The INC, already on top made its mark again with Candidate Khadim Hussain securing the Baroo Constituency with a slim margin of 66 votes. He garnered 1099 votes, followed closely by Mohammad Hanifa from JKNC with 1033 votes and Independent Candidate Ghulam Mehdi with 424 votes. A total of 2859 votes were cast in this constituency.
In Cha Constituency, BJP Candidate Stanzin Lakpa emerged victorious with a voting margin of 234 votes, receiving 798 votes. Tenzin Sonam from INC followed closely with 564 votes. A total of 1371 votes were cast in this constituency.
INC Candidate Agha Ainul Huda secured a substantial victory in the Parkachik Constituency, with a voting margin of 1128 votes. He garnered 2165 votes, leaving Ghulam Mohammad, an Independent candidate, trailing with 1037 votes. A total of 3215 votes were cast in this constituency.
Independent Candidate Ghulam Mohammad emerged as the victor in the Barsoo Constituency, clinching the seat with a margin of 228 votes. He received 1411 votes, while Ghulam Abass Wazir from the INC secured 1183 votes, and Abdul Hani from the BJP trailed with 51 votes. A total of 2653 votes were cast in this constituency.
INC Candidate Liyaqat Ali Khan secured the Chiktan Constituency with a voting margin of 361 votes, amassing 850 votes. Mohsin Ali from the BJP followed with 489 votes, and Niyaz Hussain, an Independent candidate, secured 433 votes. A total of 2377 votes were cast in this constituency.
JKNC Candidate Manzoor Ul Husain won the Yourbaltak Constituency with a voting margin of 90 votes, receiving 1452 votes. Kacho Ahmed Ali Khan, an Independent candidate, secured 1362 votes, while Mohammad Hassan Pasha from the BJP received 439 votes. A total of 3276 votes were cast in this constituency.
In the Choskore Constituency, INC Candidate Nasir Hussain Munshi secured victory with a voting margin of 434 votes, amassing 1447 votes. Mohammad Raza from JKNC followed with 1013 votes, and Bashir Ahmad from the BJP secured 174 votes. A total of 2655 votes were cast in this constituency.
INC Candidate Abdul Samad secured the Ranbirpora-Drass Constituency with a voting margin of 575 votes, receiving 1949 votes. Mubarak Shah Naqvi from JKNC followed closely with 1374 votes, and Faiyaz Ahmad Qari from the BJP secured 545 votes. A total of 3896 votes were cast in this constituency.
In the Tai-Suru Constituency, INC Candidate Abdul Hadi emerged victorious with a voting margin of 261 votes, securing 1717 votes. Syed Abbass from JKNC followed with 1456 votes. A total of 3185 votes were cast in this constituency.
INC Candidate Kacho Muhammad Feroz secured the Pashkum Constituency with a voting margin of 350 votes, receiving 1756 votes. Muhammad Ali, an Independent candidate, followed with 1406 votes, while Ahmad Hussain from AAP secured 130 votes. A total of 3309 votes were cast in this constituency.
The BJP managed to secure a victory in the Stakchay Khangral Constituency, with Candidate Padma Dorjey winning by a margin of 177 votes. He received 1007 votes, while Syed Hassan from INC secured 830 votes, and Ghulam Hussain from JKNC received 479 votes. A total of 2656 votes were cast in this constituency.
JKNC Candidate Punchok Tashi won the Padum Constituency by a slim margin of 54 votes, amassing 1745 votes, while Skalzang Wangyal from the BJP secured 1691 votes. A total of 3455 votes were cast in this constituency.
In the Bhimbhat Constituency, JKNC Candidate Abdul Wahid secured victory with a voting margin of 52 votes, receiving 1947 votes. Talib Hussain from the INC followed with 1895 votes, and Asgar Shah, an Independent candidate, secured 743 votes. A total of 4718 votes were cast in this constituency.
The Congress party’s substantial success in these elections marks a significant development in the region’s political dynamics, especially in the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi’s recent bike Yatra in Leh-Ladakh, where he actively engaged with local residents and attentively listened to their concerns and issues
In the ongoing electoral race in Kargil, the primary contenders are the BJP and the National Conference-Congress coalition.
During a recent campaign rally, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah implored voters to convey a decisive message, either endorsing or rejecting the NDA government’s August 5, 2019, decision. Kargil has traditionally been a stronghold of the National Conference, adding an interesting dimension to the contest.
Significantly shaping the political landscape in Kargil are two influential religious institutions: the Jamiat Ulema Kargil, popularly known as the Islamia School, traditionally aligning with the National Conference, and the Imam Khumaini Memorial Trust, which lends its support to the Congress.
Earlier, a dispute arose when the Ladakh administration denied the use of the “plough” symbol to National Conference candidates. This disagreement resulted in a legal battle, ultimately leading to the Supreme Court’s decision to set aside the Ladakh hill council polls, originally scheduled for September 10.
