The campaigning for elections to the 26 constituencies of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, which governs the district politically, ended today with the contesting candidates and their party leaders making last-minute efforts to woo the electorate.
The elections to the LAHDC, Leh, constituted in 1995, will be held on October 17 from 8 am to 4 pm, while the counting of votes will take place on October 23. A total of 90 candidates, including 25 each from the BJP and the Congress, eight each from the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party and 24 Independents, are in the fray.
No major political rally was held in the district on the last day of the campaigning today as the same was banned as the Election Authority had banned big rallies in the district following consultations with all political parties, the candidates and their party leaders today addressed small rallies and conducted door-to-door campaigning to woo electors.
“The election campaigning in all 26 constituencies of the Council has ended peacefully. All the arrangements for conducting the polls are already in place. Adequate security has been made in and around each polling station to ensue hassle-free and incident-free polling,” said the Election Authority, Prasanna Ramaswamy G, who is also the Deputy Commissioner, Leh.
He said the deployment of security personnel had been increased by 25 per cent as compared to the last parliamentary and Assembly elections in the district in view of the large number of candidates.
“Around 120 polling parties have so far been dispatched to the polling stations located in the far-flung and remote areas of the district. The remaining polling staff will leave the district headquarters along with the election material tomorrow,” he said, adding that they had declared a ‘dry day’ in the district on October 16 and 17.
“We have also declared holidays on October 16 and 17 in Leh district. All educational institutions and government offices will remain closed on these two days as a majority of the government staff has been engaged in the poll process,” Ramaswamy said.
The Election Authority has established 274 polling stations in the 26 constituencies of the Council.
Meanwhile, the Leh unit of the BJP has lodged a complaint against the Returning Officer of the Tegar constituency in Nubra for his “conspicuous absence” from the area. District Election Officer Rakesh Badyal has sought a report from the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Nubra, in the matter.
Furthermore, dozens of youth hailing from different areas of Ladakh joined the BJP in the presence of party’s state general secretary and election co-incharge Munish Sharma and Leh district president Sonam Dawa. The new entrants were garlanded and welcomed into the party fold by BJP leaders.
