SC set aside notification for Ladakh hill council polls, orders new process

SC also dismissed the plea by the Ladakh administration opposing the allotment of 'plough' symbol to the National Conference and imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on it

The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the August 5 notification of the election department for the Ladakh hill council polls and directed the issuance of fresh notification within seven days for it.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also dismissed the plea by the Ladakh administration opposing the allotment of 'plough' symbol to the National Conference and imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on it.

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court had dismissed the Ladakh administration's plea against a single bench order allowing NC candidates to contest the upcoming polls for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, on the party symbol.

The administration had approached a division bench of the high court against the single bench order of August 9 which directed the NC to approach the office of the Election Department of the administration of Ladakh to notify the reserved symbol 'plough' already allotted to for in the polls.

According to a notification issued by the election department on August 5, the polls for 26 seats of the 30-member LAHDC, Kargil, are scheduled for September 10 and the counting of votes will take place four days later.