BJP sweeps LAHDC Leh election, wins 15 out of 26 seats; Cong settles on 2nd spot with 9 seats

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday clocked major victory in 6th Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh general council elections, by winning 15 out of 26 seats.

Congress managed to win on 9 seats while the rest 2 was grabbed by Independent candidates.

The grand endorsement for the saffron party, comes days after Ladakh was bifurcated from Jammu and Kashmir into a separate Union Territory.

The 15 constituencies won by the BJP are – Turtuk, Hundar, Diskit, Tegar, Panamik, Tangtse, Korzok, Martselang, Kungyam, Thiksay, Chuchot, Sku Markha, Khaltsi, Lingshet, and Lamayouru. The Chushul constituency has been won by Konchok Stanzin (Independent) and Nyoma by Ishey Spalzang (Independent).

Reacting to the development, Ram Madhav tweeted: “First major victory for BJP in UT Ladakh. BJP won 15 out of 26 seats in the Leh Autonomous District Council elections. Congrats team BJP, Ladakh UT”.

BJP, Congress, AAP and 23 Independent candidates contested the polls for 26 seats. The election that took place on Thursday in Leh recorded a 65.07 per cent turnout in the 6th Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) polls, an official spokesman said.

Regional parties including National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chose to stay away from the election.
Since the formation of the hill council in 1995, the Congress had swept the polls thrice, while Ladakh Union Territorial Front had won the elections in 2005.

The BJP wrested control of the council from Congress for the first time in the last elections by winning 18 out of 26 seats.