Elections were held in October 2023 for the 26 seats of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil .[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] This was also the first election conducted in the union territory of Ladakh since its split from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.[ 5]
The Indian National Congress and Jammu & Kashmir National Conference contested the elections under the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance . The NC-Congress alliance won 22 seats in a landslide whereas the BJP won only 2 seats.[ 6]
There were 74,026 voters including 46,762 women, who exercise their franchises through EVMs in 278 polling stations across the Kargil. Totally 85 candidates were in the fray. [ 7] The voter turnout was 78% , which was an increase of 8% from the 2018 council Election, mainly due to the returning of Kargil’s migrant population for the election.[ 8]
Out of 26 seats, 23 are Muslim majority seats and three are Buddhist majority seats. The Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust and Anjuman Jamiatul Ulama Islamia School-Kargil are the main Shite seminaries in Kargil. The Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust extended its support to the Indian National Congress and the Anjuman Jamiatul Ulama Islamia School-Kargil is rooting for the Jammu & Kashmir National Conferences . The Bharatiya Janata Party had earlier promised district status to the Buddhist majority Zanskar tehsil but failed to deliver the promise and is facing resentment from people in Buddhist majority seats like Karsha and Padun which are part of Zanskar.[ 9] Samanla Dorje, a Buddhist Congress leader has also said "People can no more be fooled by the promise of district status to Zanskar,” .[ 10]
Election Department, Ladakh has announced the schedule to conduct the election for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil on 9 September 2023:[ 11] [ 12]
Poll Event Date Date from which nominations can be made 9 September 2023 Last date for making nominations 16 September 2023 Date for scrutiny of nominations 18 September 2023 Last date for the withdrawal of nominations 20 September 2023 Date on which poll shall, if necessary, be held 4 October 2023 Timing of Poll 8.00 AM to 4.00 PM Date of counting of votes 8 October 2023 Date before which the Election shall be completed 11 October 2023
Seat Share Projections Polling agency Date published Majority JKNC INC BJP Others Gulistan News 5 oct 2023 10-12 9-11 1-3 4-5 Hung
12 10 2 2 JKNC INC BJP IND
Vote share of different parties in the election
Results by party and alliance [ edit ] Vote share of different alliances in the election
Results by constituency [ edit ] Constituency wise results[ 14] Constituency Winner Runner up Margin No Name Name Party Votes Name Party Votes 1 Ranbirpora Abdul Samad INC 1,949 Mubarak Shah Nagvi S JKNC 1,374 575 2 Bhimbat Abdul Wahid JKNC 1,947 Talib Hussain INC 1,895 52 3 Shargole Mohammad Jawad INC 1,978 Mohammad Ali Chandan BJP 1,913 65 4 Pashkum Kacho Mohammad Feroz INC 1,756 Mohammad Ali IND 1,406 350 5 Taisuru Abdul Hadi INC 1,717 Syed Abbass JKNC 1,456 261 6 Parkachik Agha Anul Huda INC 2,165 Ghulam Mohammad IND 1,037 1,128 7 Karsha Stanzin Jigmat INC 1,509 Rigzin Tsewang BJP 1,430 79 8 Padum Punchok Tashi JKNC 1,745 Skalzang Wangyal BJP 1,691 54 9 Cha Stanzin Lakpa BJP 798 Tenzin Sonam INC 564 234 10 Chuliskamboo Altaf Hussain JKNC 1,480 Reyaz Ahmad Khan IND 1,173 307 11 Kargil Town Mohammad Abbass Adulpa JKNC 1,953 Mohammad Hussain INC 668 1,285 12 Baroo Khadim Hussain INC 1,099 Muhammad Hanifa Jan JKNC 1,033 66 13 Poyen Mohammad Amin JKNC 1,322 Haji Anayat Ali BJP 962 360 14 Yourbaltak Manzoor Ul Hussain JKNC 1,452 Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan IND 1,362 90 15 Silmoo Feroz Ahmed Khan JKNC 1,638 Mohammad Ali Khan INC 665 973 16 Choskore Nasir Hussain Munshi INC 1,447 Mohammad Raza JKNC 1,013 434 17 Trespone Syed Mujtaba JKNC 1,292 Nawaz Ali IND 1,106 186 18 Gund Mangalpur Syed Ali IND 1,313 Mohammad Abbass INC 978 335 19 Saliskote Mohammad Sajjad JKNC 1,144 Syed Hassan INC 944 200 20 Lankarchey Ghulam Haider JKNC 1,202 Mohammad Sadiq INC 786 416 21 Thangdumbur Ashiq Ali JKNC 1,643 Mohammad Ali BJP 519 1,124 22 Thasgam Thuina Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon JKNC 1,405 Sheikh Mohd Hussain INC 1,311 94 23 Barsoo Ghulam Mohammad IND 1,411 Ghulam Abbass Wazir INC 1,183 228 24 Shakar Zakir Hussain INC 1,339 Kacho Shameem Ahmad Khan IND 1,001 338 25 Chiktan Liyaqut Ali Khan INC 850 Mohsin Ali BJP 489 361 26 Stakchay Khangral Padma Dorjey BJP 1,007 Syed Hassan INC 830 177
^ Ashiq, Peerzada (4 October 2023). "In first polls post-370, Kargil hill council elections sees over 78% turnout" . The Hindu . ^ "Hope for pre-Art 370 abrogation to development: Why 3 young candidates are in fray for Kargil hill council" . 3 October 2023. ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (3 October 2023). "Kargil sees first post-370 polls; big stakes for BJP, Congress, NC" . The Hindu . ^ "73% voter turnout recorded as Kargil holds first polls since Article 370 move" . 5 October 2023. ^ "LAHDC Kargil elections today: First poll since split from J&K in 2019, voting underway" . cnbctv18.com . 4 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023 . ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (8 October 2023). "NC-Congress alliance sweeps Kargil election with 22 of 26 seats; BJP wins two" . The Hindu . ISSN 0971-751X . Retrieved 20 October 2023 . ^ Livemint (8 October 2023). "LAHDC-Kargil polls: Congress bags 7 seats, NC wins 5, BJP gets 2 constituencies" . mint . Retrieved 8 October 2023 . ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (4 October 2023). "Kargil migrant voters flood back as discontent is palpable" . The Hindu . ISSN 0971-751X . Retrieved 8 October 2023 . ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (3 October 2023). "Kargil sees first post-370 polls; big stakes for BJP, Congress, NC" . The Hindu . ISSN 0971-751X . Retrieved 8 October 2023 . ^ Ashiq, Peerzada (4 October 2023). "In first polls post-370, Kargil hill council elections sees over 78% turnout" . The Hindu . ISSN 0971-751X . Retrieved 8 October 2023 . ^ "The Ladakh Gazette" (PDF) . gov.in . Retrieved 5 October 2023 . ^ "Kargil hill council election 2023: Election Department to set up 278 polling stations" . 10 September 2023. ^ "List of Candidates in fray for the 5th General Elections to LAHDC Kargil-2023" (PDF) . gov.in . Retrieved 5 October 2023 . ^ "2023 LAHDC Kargil election results" . LAHDC Kargil . Retrieved 8 October 2023 .