Kargil will create an atmosphere against BJP, says NC ahead of results

The National Conference and the BJP on Saturday expressed confidence of a good performance in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC) elections, a day before the announcement of its results.

The election to 26 seats of the 30-member hill council was held earlier this week. Four councillors with voting rights are nominated by the administration.

It was the first poll in Kargil after the abrogation of Article 370 and the creation of the Union Territory of Ladakh in August 2019.

The NC and the Congress had announced a pre-poll alliance, but put up 17 and 22 candidates respectively. Both parties said the arrangement had been restricted to areas where there was a tough contest with the BJP.

The BJP, which won one seat in the last election and later took its tally to three with the joining of two PDP councillors, fielded 17 candidates this time.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tried its luck from four seats, while 25 independents were also in the fray.

The NC, which headed the previous council, said the party was confident it would do well.

"We are hopeful and are sure that our voters came out in large numbers and voted in our favour," Mohammad Amin, the NC candidate from the Payen constituency, told PTI here.

Amin said the party was hopeful of winning 15 seats.

The BJP, which banked on the creation of a separate UT for Ladakh and development works, said it was hopeful the party would do well.

"This was an important election because after Ladakh was separated from J-K on August 5, 2019, it got to see development at the grassroots level. We expect people's support for the BJP and tomorrow's results will show how much Ladakh has moved forward in terms of development, Ghulam Hassan Pasha, media incharge, BJP, Ladakh, and a candidate, said.

"We are hopeful and expect that we will get a full majority," he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which contested the polls for the first time, expressed hope that people would support its policies.

More than 77 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the elections for which electronic voting machines were used for the first time.

Of out of the total 95,388 voters, 74,026 exercised their right of franchise at 278 polling stations.

The election to LAHDC-Kargil was rescheduled from September 10 to October 4 on the directions of the Supreme Court.