Leh council elections: Triangular fight between BJP, Congress, AAP

The contest in council elections for 26 seats in Ladakh has become intense as all the three major parties have geared up to fight elections. The region is going to polls the first time since it was declared a union territory last year after the nullification of the article 370.

Leh (Ladakh): Preparations are in full swing for elections to the 26 seats of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh which is scheduled on October 22. This polls will see a triangular contest between the BJP, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The region is going to polls for the first time since it was declared a union territory last year.

"Abki Baar 26 Paar" is the BJP's slogan.

Nawamg Samsthan, district president of the BJP said, "Abki Baar 26 Paar, this is our slogan. In all the 26 constituencies we are fielding our candidates, they are mostly young and capable of developing the region."

"Our priority is to encourage the youth in the party. Our manifesto has provision for political empowerment to Ladakh," he said.

District Congress President and Congress candidate, said, "When Ladakh became a UT, we demanded a legislature and a Chief Minister but it did not happen. We thought that if Ladakh Autonomous Hill development council is empowered then it will be good, but still, it is not happening."

"Ladakh has about 95 per cent of people belong to Tribal Community. Both Hill Councils of Leh and Kargil should be empowered in the sixth schedule which has not happened yet. In the last year, the central government has not heeded the demands of people of Ladakh. Our demand will be related to giving protection to Ladakh under the sixth schedule of the Constitution," he said.

"Many graduates and postgraduates here are not getting jobs while youth from other states are getting jobs here," he added.

Rinchin Namgyal the spokesperson of the AAP here said, "We founded AAP here since the PDP and National Conference have been dissolved and we thought that a third party alternative should be here in Ladakh, which talks of the basic development of the people."

"No development based talk is going on all over India. So we want here to carry forward the issues related to the needs and development of the people. We have placed such candidates who relate to people's issues," he added.

(ANI)