‘164 candidates in poll fray, elections slated for Oct 22’
Tasaduq Hussain
Ladakh: Election fever has gripped cold desert as political parties have started luring voters through campaigning to secure control over Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).
The administration has fixed October 22 for the crucial LAHDC. Officials said that that 164 candidates are in the fray.
According to news agency—Kashmir news observer (KNO), in 26 constituencies in Leh, 164 candidates have filed their nomination forms that includes 44 independent, 43 Congress, 43 BJP and only 27 from AAP.
For 26 constituencies of LAHDC, 164 candidates have filed nomination papers with Chushot being highest with 16 nominations followed by Turtuk 11 and Saspol 10 while as Panamik, Sakti and Khalsi witnessed least nominations of 3 candidates each.
The political parties have started the political campaigning in the cold desert for the LADHC election.
Contesting its maiden election, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), official spokesman, Rinchen Namgyal, told KNO that the party will stand for constitutional safeguard whether in power or opposition and our focus will be the basic requirements like development, health, education and so on.
He said we have fielded only 18 candidates out of 26 seats and many BJP men have joined AAP that include a sitting councilor from upper Leh, Mandal president from maximum places and youth presidents have joined AAP in recent days and the approx figure would be nearly 400.
“Our party has evoked great response from the people and amid this pandemic we have resorted to door to door campaigning and village heads given the precaution in view of covid despite we advised the administration to postpone the election,” he said.
Tsering Namgyal, one of the candidates of Congress who is also Leh district president for congress party told KNO that the party will go with public agendas in the LADHC polls and all that council requires and need to be done also there is nothing concrete about the constitutional safeguard from administration including the jobs.
About the resignation of former CEC, Rigzin Spalbar who was party’s senior leader, he said, there are some person reason and he has mentioned in the resignation that he will work to strengthen the stand for the demand of 6th schedule but morally and mentally he is with the congress also I reckon he’s still with the party.
To a question about the congress losing foothold in Ladakh, he said we are going among the people and telling them what needs to be done, “what has been left also the lags of administration and union government in running the region and people do understand us.”
Ashok Koul, general secretary (Org), Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), camping in leh for past many days told KNO, “Our agenda for the LADHC election is very clear we have already given UT status to the region and the developmental works also the hill council budget has been hiked from 55 to 250 crore.”
He said they have commenced their poll campaigning under proper guidelines and protocols in view of the Covid pandemic and will continue with the same and people have shown good response to BJP villagers in particular.
To a query about the mass resignation including the sitting councilor, he said there is nothing like that but one has resigned citing no mandate for the election and it happens during election and all those who don’t get a ticket can say anything.
“We have changed many people only because they haven’t shown a performance and a huge number of people including a senior leader have joined BJP.”
He said the LADHC council will also be uplifted as it couldn’t happen due to the ongoing pandemic.
“People here express gratitude towards the prime minister Narendra Modi for the UT status and have assured poll win from all the 26 seats,” he said—(KNO)
