LS polls: Ladakh to witness direct fight between Cong, BJP candidates

Jammu and Kashmir's high altitude Lok Sabha constituency of Ladakh will witness a four-cornered contest with a direct fight between Congress and BJP candidates, with 1.59 lakh voters deciding their fate.

A total number of 1,59,631 voters will exercise their voting rights at 531 polling stations for the Ladakh Constituency, which goes to polls on May 7, Election department officials said.

Ladakh constituency which comprises of two districts of Leh and Kargil, have 80,994 male and 78,637 female voters.

There are four candidates in the fray for the Parliamentary seat including Thupstan Chhewang of BJP, Tsering Samphel of Congress, and two independents, Ghulam Raza and Sayed Mohammad Kazim.

Former MLA, Tsering Samphel, is the NC-Congress candidate against BJP's T Chawang, who has remained as Chief Executive Councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

The Returning Officer and DC, Leh, Simrandeep Singh has handed over the confirmed party election symbols Kettle for Sayed Mohammad Kasim and Cup and Saucer for Ghulam Raza, and include the standard national party symbols of Congress and BJP.

In Leh district there are 39,812 male and 39,230 female voters with a total of 79,042 voters to vote at 274 polling stations and in Kargil district there are 41,182 male and 39,407 female voters with a total of 80,589 voters to vote at 257 polling stations.