Over 77% votes polled in Kargil hill devp council elections

: As many as 77.61% votes were polled on Wednesday in the elections to the Ladakh Hill Development Council (Kargil).

Voters queued up outside polling stations in Kargil district since morning to elect councillors for the 26 council seats.

This is the first time people in Kargil voted for Hill Development Council since abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories - Ladakh and J&K.

Of 26 council seats, Congress is contesting on 22 seats, while the National Conference (NC) and the BJP have put their candidates on 17 seats each. Aam Adami Party (AAP) is contesting on four seats.

“An inaugural journey into democracy! A first-time voter casts his ballot with an infectious smile at a polling station in Kargil district for the 5th LAHDC Kargil Elections. A momentous step into shaping our nation’s future,” the department of information & public relations, Kargil, Ladakh posted on micro blogging site X.

In the evening, the department said that EVM’s had started reaching the counting centre strong room.

The counting of votes is scheduled for October 8 and the new council will be in place before October 11.

The existing council headed by National Conference’s Feroz Ahmad Khan completed its five-year term on October 1.

The elections to LAHDC-Kargil was rescheduled from September 10 to October 4 on the directions of the Supreme Court which took serious note of the UT administration denying the “plough” symbol to National Conference candidates.

The NC and the Congress are jointly contesting the polls, however at many seats where BJP hasn’t put its candidates, the two parties which are also part of the INDIA alliance are locked in a friendly contest.

BJP, that won only a single seat in the last Hill Council polls, are hopeful of making big gains on the issue of development and giving UT status to Ladakh. NC-Congress alliance is fighting elections to keep the BJP away in this Muslim majority region of Ladakh.

“This is first time I got a chance to vote in Hill Council polls. This is very proud moment for me,” said Ishtiaq Ahmad, a first time voter.

At many places, older men and women waited to exercise their franchise.

Social activist Sajjad Kargili, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, wrote on X after casting his vote. “Here lies the larger message from Kargil on August 5, 2019,” Kargili said.