SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah announced on Tuesday that his party would transfer the chairmanship of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC-K) to the Congress party, in accordance with a 2023 agreement between the allies. This move aims to defuse a growing crisis triggered by the current chief's refusal to step aside.
"We are handing it (chairmanship of the council) over to Congress," Farooq told TOI.
Strains between the two parties have intensified over the past two weeks. Congress accused NC's Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, the current CEO of LAHDC-K, of refusing to resign even after completing the two-and-a-half-year term agreed upon by the allies following the 2023 council elections. Akhoon cited administrative disruptions caused by the recent creation of five new districts in the Union territory as the reason for not stepping down.
In the October 2023 elections, NC emerged as the single largest party, winning 12 seats in the 30-member council. Congress secured 10 seats. Together, the allies commanded 22 seats, six more than the majority mark. The BJP won two seats.
Amid the tensions, Asgar Ali Karbalai, Congress's Ladakh chief, had downplayed reports of discord, insisting there were no differences between the allies regarding the council. He stated that the rotational arrangement for the chairmanship would be upheld as per the 2023 pact and that the change would be formalized soon. Mohmad Haneefa, the NC-supported Ladakh MP, also intervened in the dispute, emphasizing that the council remained stable and internal issues were being resolved.
The 2023 elections held significant political importance as they took place after the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the reorganization of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir into two Union territories. NC vice-president and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed gratitude to Congress for its "unwavering support" and thanked the people of Kargil for backing the alliance.
Ladakh UT comprises two hill councils: LAHDC-K and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Leh (LAHDC-L). The Leh council was established in 1995, while the Kargil council was formed in 2003.
The central government approved the creation of five new districts in Ladakh in August 2024. Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena officially notified them on April 26 this year, bringing the total number of districts to seven. The new districts are Sham, Nubra, and Changthang in Leh, and Zanskar and Drass in Kargil. It remains unclear whether these new districts will fall under the jurisdiction of the existing Kargil and Leh councils or if separate administrative bodies will be established for them.
