SRINAGAR: The politics of the Kashmir plains takes a backseat at high altitude. The Ladakh Hill Development Council Kargil is now literally being ruled by an NC-BJP alliance.
In late 2018 when Kargil Council went for elections to its 26 seats, no party was returned with adequate numbers to rule the desert solo. NC had emerged as the single largest party with 10 seats followed by Congress eight, PDP two, BJP one and Independents five.
Subsequently, the administration nominated four councillors. They were all from BJP. In the following days, PDPs two councillors decided to join the BJP. This made BJP a significant force with seven berths in the house.
Quickly after 2018 polls, NC and Congress stitched an alliance and took over the reins of the Council.
Then came August 2019 when the Jammu and Kashmir as a state was undone. Ladakh became a separate UT. NC leaders in Kargil started feeling cold towards the Congress and joined hands with BJP to form a new council. It has been working perfectly.
Now on June 4, the LAHDC-Kargil Chief Executive Councillor, Feroz Khan has replaced two executive councillors, one each from BJP and NC. The Council has now four Executive Councilors – three from NC and one from the BJP.
Feroz Khan picked Mohsin Ali – the erstwhile PDP and then BJP man, to replace another PDP defector Ali Chandan. Besides, he got his party’s Syed Abbas Razvi to replace Mubarak Shah.
