On Sunday, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) and Congress party’s alliance made a land slide victory in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil elections, bagging 22 seats out of 26. While their arch rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) only managed to win 2 seats. The LAHD-Kargil Council comprises of 30 members out of which 26 are elected, while 4 are nominated by the administration.
Voting for 26 council members took place on October 4, 2023 with a total voter turnout of 77.61%. Counting of votes happened on October 8, in which National Conference-Congress alliance registered a huge victory defeating BJP. National Conference won 12 seats, while their partner Congress (INC) registered victory on 10 seats taking joint mark to 22. BJP won 2 seats while 2 independent candidates also registered victory.
This win by JKNC-Congress alliance can be seen as a saviour for the I.N.D.I.A. alliance too as both the parties were contesting together against BJP. Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and vice-president of JKNC, Omar Abdullah took to social media platform X and wrote: “The BJP was dealt a resounding defeat at the hands of the NC-Congress alliance in Kargil today. In celebration of our strong alliance with the Congress party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference is delighted to announce its victory in the LAHDC Kargil elections. This result sends a message to all forces and parties that have, undemocratically and unconstitutionally, divided the state of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh without the consent of its people.”
Omar Abdullah also expressed: “This victory belongs to the people of Zanskar, Kargil, and Drass, who have decisively endorsed the National Conference-Congress alliance.”
The BJP was dealt a resounding defeat at the hands of the NC-Congress alliance in Kargil today. In celebration of our strong alliance with the Congress party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference is delighted to announce its victory in the LAHDC Kargil elections. This result…
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 8, 2023
Also, Congress party’s General Secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that the victory of his party’s alliance in LAHDC-Kargil elections is the direct impact of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ladakh last month. Jairam wrote on X, “The national media of course will blank it out, but trends coming in show Congress leading convincingly in the elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil with an almost complete wipeout of the BJP. This is a direct impact of @RahulGandhi continuing Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ladakh last month.”
The national media of course will blank it out, but trends coming in show Congress leading convincingly in the elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil with an almost complete wipeout of the BJP. This is a direct impact of @RahulGandhi continuing…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 8, 2023
Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti also said that it’s happening to see secular parties like National Conference and Congress win elections. She said on X, “Heartening to see secular parties like NC & Congress register their victory in Kargil. Its the first election post 2019 & people of Ladakh have spoken.”
Heartening to see secular parties like NC & Congress register their victory in Kargil. Its the first election post 2019 & people of Ladakh have spoken.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 8, 2023
Well, JKPDP did not contest election this time, but Mehbooba Mufti was seen in previous meetings of I.N.D.I.A. alliance against BJP. The election was crucial in terms of 2024 general elections in the country and this major defeat of BJP by NC-Congress alliance might be problematic for the centre ruling party BJP in the Union Territory.
