The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 15 seats on Monday and Congress won nine seats in elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Development Council (LAHDC). The two remaining seats have been won by independent candidates. Elections in 26 seats of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council were held on October 22 and the count took place on Monday.
Here’s a look at the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, which manages the local governance issues of the newly carved Union territory and the elections that took place:
1. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh is an autonomous district council that administers the Leh district of Ladakh. The council was created under the Ladakh Autonomous Hills Development Council Act 1995. The council was created after the first elections were held on August 28, 1995.
2. On October 22, the 6th Ladakh Autonomous Hills Development Council (LAHDC) -Leh surveys were conducted. LAHDC-Leh has a total of 30 seats and four councilors are nominated by the government. An electorate of 89,776, including 45,025 women, were eligible to vote in 294 polling stations spread over 26 constituencies across the Leh district.
3. In the first democratic exercise after Ladakh became a Union territory last year, 94 candidates were in the fray. In addition to Congress and the BJP, which each ran for 26 candidates, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also ran for 19 candidates for the first time, while the remaining 23 are independent contestants. Regional parties, including the National Conference (NC) and the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), stayed away from the elections.
4. Since 1995, the council has always been governed by one party. Congress had swept the polls three times, while the Territorial Front of the Ladakh Union won the 2005 elections. The BJP took control of the council of Congress for the first time in the last election, winning 18 out of 26 seats.
5. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, voter turnout was 65.07 percent, as 89,789 voters cast their vote. For the first time, electronic voting machines (EVM) were used for voting.
6. Leh, which is a Buddhist-dominated district of Ladakh, has demanded the implementation of the sixth program for the Union territory to protect against demographic change and the dilution of the unique cultural and tribal identity.
7. During the election campaign, the BJP promised a list of development activities, including a new medical school, a central university, and development packages. Congress promised the implementation of the sixth calendar. The AAP promised a development model similar to that of Delhi for the UT.
8. The choice was important for the BJP as it had to prove its popularity in view of the Union territory status granted to Ladakh on 5 August last year. A victory for the BJP will also signify great support for the party at a time of clash with the Chinese military in the region.
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