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| People of Ladakh unlikely to go the BJP way | | LAHDC elections | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 11: The State Government on Wednesday announced the poll schedule for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.
As per the schedule issued by the Ladakh Affairs Department, the nominations could be filed from September 22 to 29, 2015.September 29 will be the last date for filing nominations. The scrutiny of nominations will be held on September 30 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations will be October 2. The voting will take place on October 17 and counting of votes will take place on October 23. The polling hours shall be between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The election process has to be completed before October 28, 2015, when the term of the existing council expires.
The Government has designated Deputy Commissioner Leh as the Election Authority for LAHDC (L) polls, while Additional Deputy Commissioner Leh has been designated as Election Officer. The people of Leh district will elect 26 members to the LAHDC. It is 30-member Council - 26 elected and four nominated. The Congress controls the present council and the strength of the BJP in the council is just 4.
The BJP has taken the lead as far as its announcement that it would contest all the seats is concerned. Its few senior leaders have already visited Leh district for an on-the-spot assessment of the prevailing political situation and weigh its poll prospects. Two days ago, its leadership also discussed with the PDP leadership the possibility of fighting the election jointly. The PDP has little or no influence in Leh district. The BJP leadership has given the people to understand that it will put all possible efforts to win maximum number of seats and dislodge the Congress.
NC working president Omar Abdullah also completed today his three-day-long tour to Leh district. The NC is likely to contest the impending election in a big way. It may not win a significant number of seats, as it is quite unpopular in the region because of its Kashmir-centric credentials and approach and its senseless insistence on autonomy. The people of Ladakh, like the people of Jammu province, oppose the autonomy demand and favour their complete merger with India.
The contest would be mainly between the Congress and the BJP, which is now in power in the State. Notwithstanding the lot of noises which the BJP made during the past four days, its chances in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh do not seem very bright. The reason is that it has taken a complete U-turn on the issue of Union territory. In fact, the BJP has left the people of Ladakh high and dry by not promising UT status in its Vision document 2014. Besides, the controversial statements made by senior BJP leaders, including Nitin Gadkari, on the issue have not inspired the people of the region. The problem of the BJP is that it cannot commit UT status to the region because its ally, the PDP, like the NC and other Kashmiri outfits, including separatist outfits, are against the Ladakhis' demand for UT status. The BJP feels that its support to the demand in Ladakh for UT status could destabilize the coalition Government and it wants to remain stay put in power at whatever cost. But more than that, the BJP has become very unpopular in the State because of its alliance with the PDP, as also because of the PDP-BJP agenda of alliance, which is fundamentally Kashmir-centric, and even separatist friendly.
It is obvious that the electoral chances of the Congress would be bright, as it is very clear on the issue. It had fought the last elections to the LAHDC, Leh, and the 2014 Assembly elections on the UT-status-for-the-region plank and registered emphatic wins. It had won 22 out of 26 elected seats in the 30-member council and it had won 3 out of 4 seats in the Assembly elections. Reports from Leh suggest that the Congress will again contest the upcoming elections on the planks it contested the last council and Assembly elections. Since the Congress has resolved to seek the people's mandate on the UT status plank, it is likely to repeat its 2011 performance. |
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