Election of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council in Kargil on Sept 10

The election to 26 seats of the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, is scheduled for September 10 and counting of votes will be held four days later, a senior official said on Saturday.

While polls are held for 26 seats of the council, four members with voting rights are nominated by the administration.

Deputy Commissioner Shrikant Suse said EMVs will be used for the voting, assuring people of free and fair polls to constitute the fifth Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil.

The official said filing of nominations will start on August 16 and will go on till August 23.

Scrutiny of nominations will take place on August 24 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is August 26, he said.

The National Conference and the Congress have already announced an alliance for polls.

"Two notifications were issued by the election department, Ladakh, to constitute the fifth LAHDC, Kargil. With the issuance of the notification, the model code of conduct has come into effect and detailed instructions will be issued shortly," Suse told reporters in Kargil.

The deputy commissioner has been nominated as the election authority with the additional deputy commissioner, Kargil, as the election officer to oversee the polls.

Suse said all arrangements are in place to ensure free and fair elections through EVMs which are being used for the polls for the first time.

The election process will be complete by September 20, he said, adding security analysis of all polling stations along with facilities and deployment of staff was done about a fortnight ago.

The existing council headed by National Conference leader Feroz Ahmad Khan is completing its five-year term on October 1.