The National Conference (NC) and Congress alliance on Monday dubbed the LAHDC-Kargil poll results as a “referendum” against the Centre’s decision of abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir.
The NC and the Congress together won 22 of 26 seats in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil elections, the results of which were declared on Sunday.
The election was the first poll to be held after Ladakh was carved out as a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
“This is definitely a referendum, the people of Kargil fought on this issue… Our first demand is the restoration of the democratic system in Ladakh. It is up to the government how they will do that – whether they will give a full-fledged statehood to Ladakh, and if they cannot do that, then restore our position (with Jammu-Kashmir),” NC district president, Kargil, Hanifa Jan, said.
Jan said the people of Kargil want to get out of the “bureaucratic slavery” under the lieutenant governor’s administration.
Twenty-six seats of the council went to polls on October 4. The administration nominates four members with voting rights to the 30-member council.
The NC won 12 seats, making it the single-largest party, while its ally Congress registered victory in 10 seats. The BJP won two seats, while two independent candidates also emerged victorious.
The NC and the Congress had announced a pre-poll alliance but fielded 17 and 22 candidates, respectively. Both the parties said the arrangement was restricted to areas where there was a tough contest with the BJP