NC-Congress bags 18 seats so far; counting still under way

NC-Congress bags 18 seats so far; counting still under way

NC-Congress bags 18 seats so far; counting still under way

The National Conference-Congress alliance has pulled off a thumping victory—bagging 18 out of the 26 seats so far— in the crucial Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil election. 

The counting is still under way.

The results of the first-ever local election held in Ladakh after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories have come as a major setback to the BJP which has managed to win only two seats so far.

The National Conference won 10 seats while the Congress 8 as results were declared on 21 seats. An Independent candidate has also registered victory on one seat.

The election witnessed a 77.61 per cent polling with 74,026 of the 95,388 voters exercising their right. 

The new council will take office before October 11, replacing the existing Council led by NC’s Feroz Ahmad Khan, which completed its five-year term on October 1. 

The administration nominates four members with voting rights to the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil.

The NC and Congress, who formed an alliance against the BJP, had together fielded 39 candidates—22 by Congress and 17 by NC. In all 89 candidates were in the fray. The BJP had fielded 17 candidates. The rest are independents and from the Aam Adami Party.

Stringent security arrangements had been put in place at and around the Government Polytechnic College in Kargil where the counting of the votes is being held.