Former LAHDC-Kargil chief’s switch gives BJP a prominent local figure, while Congress recruits two new faces; November 21 elections will test whether party changes translate into voter support
By: Javid Amin | 31 October 2026
Kargil: A fresh political realignment is taking shape in Kargil ahead of Ladakh’s November 21 local body elections. Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, a former Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, and an expelled National Conference leader, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. At the same time, former senior government officer Dr Raza Abbasi and social activist Haji Fida Hussain have joined the Congress.
The developments are significant not simply because three known figures have changed political affiliations, but because they come after months of tension inside the Kargil Hill Council, the breakdown of a power-sharing arrangement between the National Conference and Congress, and the dissolution of the council by the Ladakh administration.
The timing is equally important. Ladakh is preparing for elections to its Panchayat Halqas and the Municipal Committees of Leh and Kargil, with polling scheduled for November 21. The party switches offer BJP and Congress an opportunity to strengthen their local networks, but they do not yet demonstrate a shift in voter preferences.
Jaffer Akhoon’s move: From NC’s Hill Council chief to BJP entrant
Akhoon’s political importance comes from his previous position at the head of the elected Hill Council, rather than simply his association with a major regional party.
In October 2023, he was unanimously elected Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the fifth LAHDC-Kargil. The council is an important local self-governance institution, responsible for development and administration across several areas of the district.
The BJP’s induction of a former council chief gives it a recognisable political figure with direct experience of Kargil’s local administration. It may also help the party reach voters and political networks that have traditionally remained outside its strongest areas of influence.
But the extent of that advantage remains to be tested. A leader’s personal standing does not automatically transfer to a political party. Akhoon will have to demonstrate that his support extends beyond his own constituency and can translate into votes for BJP candidates in the municipal and Panchayat contests.
His move is therefore a potentially important organisational gain for the BJP, but calling it a decisive breakthrough in Kargil would be premature.
The 2023 power-sharing agreement that triggered the split
The roots of Akhoon’s departure lie in the political arrangement formed after the 2023 LAHDC-Kargil elections.
The NC and Congress contested the council elections in alliance and secured a substantial majority. Of the 26 elected seats, the NC won 12 and Congress 10, while the BJP and Independents secured two seats each. Four additional councillors were nominated.
With neither alliance partner willing to remain subordinate to the other, the two parties agreed to share power. Under the arrangement, the Chief Executive Councillor’s position would rotate after two-and-a-half years. The NC would lead the council for the first half, followed by Congress for the remaining period.
Akhoon became the NC nominee and was elected CEC in October 2023.
The arrangement appeared to offer a practical solution to the competing claims of the two alliance partners. But it also contained an obvious point of vulnerability: the transition depended on the incumbent leadership honouring the agreed timetable.
When the two-and-a-half-year period approached its end, Akhoon refused to step down, triggering a confrontation with Congress and sections of the NC leadership. The disagreement eventually led to his expulsion from the National Conference for six years on July 18, 2026.
The episode exposed the limits of the alliance’s internal power-sharing mechanism. It also demonstrated how disagreements over control of a local institution can reshape political relationships far beyond the council itself.
How the BJP relationship developed
Akhoon’s eventual move to the BJP followed a period of political distance from the NC-Congress alliance.
Reports indicate that he increasingly relied on support from BJP-backed councillors during the dispute over the CEC position. His political relationship with the BJP also became more visible through his public appreciation of decisions taken by the Centre and the Ladakh administration.
One issue that featured prominently was the creation of Sankoo district, a long-standing demand in the region. Akhoon welcomed the move and credited the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for supporting the demand.
The administrative decision was formally notified on October 16, 2026, with Sankoo designated as the district headquarters. The new district comprises the tehsils of Sankoo, GM Pore, TSG and Taisuru, with the corresponding areas excluded from Kargil district.
For the BJP, the significance of Akhoon’s support for the decision is political as well as administrative. The party can point to a former senior NC leader endorsing a major government initiative in an area where it has historically faced a more difficult electoral environment.
At his joining ceremony, Akhoon reportedly said that his close association with the BJP over the previous three years had helped him understand the party beyond the negative perceptions he believed existed among sections of the population. He also referred to his interactions with senior BJP leaders and the party’s support for regional demands.
His entry into the BJP formalises a political shift that had been developing over time.
LAHDC-Kargil dissolution adds another layer to the contest
The political confrontation did not end with Akhoon’s expulsion.
On October 21, the Ladakh administration dissolved the LAHDC-Kargil after the resignation of key council members, including Akhoon, three executive councillors and six councillors. The dissolution followed the breakdown of the council’s existing political arrangement and created the conditions for a fresh political contest.
The development is significant because the Hill Council is not merely another political platform. It is an elected institution through which local representatives participate in development planning and governance.
Its dissolution leaves important questions about the continuity of local representation and the future political balance in Kargil. The November 21 local body elections, however, are not elections to replace the LAHDC. They are separate contests for Panchayat Halqas and municipal committees.
That distinction is important. The current party realignment is taking place in the wider political environment created by the council crisis, but the upcoming polls will decide representation at the grassroots and municipal levels, not the composition of the dissolved Hill Council.
Congress gains Raza Abbasi and Fida Hussain
While Akhoon’s entry into the BJP attracted attention, Congress also secured two new entrants in Kargil.
Dr Raza Abbasi, a former Director of Sheep Husbandry and Animal Husbandry in Ladakh, and Haji Fida Hussain of Chanchik joined the Congress on October 31 in the presence of senior party leaders.
Abbasi is the son of late Haji Abbas, a former MLA from Zanskar. His family background gives him a political connection to the region, while his previous administrative position provides a public-service profile.
Fida Hussain is identified in local reporting as a social activist. His induction gives Congress another local figure as it seeks to strengthen its presence in Kargil town and surrounding areas.
The joining ceremony was attended by Ladakh Territorial Congress Working President Asgar Ali Karbalai, District Congress Committee president Khadim Hussain and other party leaders.
Congress is likely to view the two inductions as an opportunity to widen its local network ahead of the municipal election. However, claims that the entrants will significantly strengthen the party in Zanskar or across central Kargil need to be tested against their actual political reach and the candidates fielded by Congress.
The available reports establish their entry into the party. They do not provide independent evidence of the size of their personal support bases or how many voters they may bring with them.
Why Kargil is politically important for the BJP
Kargil has historically presented a different political landscape from Leh.
The BJP has had a stronger organisational and electoral presence in Leh, while Kargil politics has been shaped by regional parties, Congress and local political networks. The NC-Congress alliance’s performance in the 2023 Hill Council election demonstrated the strength of that political combination.
The BJP’s two elected seats in that contest, alongside four nominated councillors who sided with it, gave the party a presence in the council but not control of the elected majority.
Akhoon’s induction gives the BJP a former head of that council. It is a potentially useful asset because local politics in Kargil often depends on personal relationships, constituency-level organisation and the credibility of individual leaders.
But the BJP faces a larger test than recruiting a prominent former NC figure. It must convince voters that its political and administrative agenda addresses the concerns of Kargil residents.
These concerns include employment, healthcare, education, road connectivity, local development, administrative access and the region’s political representation within the Union Territory.
Akhoon’s move may help the party communicate its position on these issues through a familiar local face. Whether that produces a measurable electoral gain remains uncertain.
Congress seeks to turn local support into political strength
Congress, meanwhile, has an opportunity to use its new entrants to strengthen its municipal-level organisation.
The party already has an established presence in Kargil and was a major partner in the 2023 Hill Council alliance with the NC. The breakdown of that arrangement created political difficulties, but it also gives Congress an opportunity to present itself as a party seeking a more reliable local political arrangement.
Abbasi and Fida Hussain could help the party build connections in Kargil town and its surrounding areas. Their effectiveness, however, will depend on the responsibilities they receive, their involvement in candidate selection and their ability to mobilise support beyond their existing circles.
For Congress, the immediate objective is likely to be strengthening its position in the municipal contest rather than making sweeping claims about a region-wide political revival.
The November 21 elections: The real test of the party switches
The upcoming elections provide the first clear opportunity to assess the impact of these political changes.
The official Ladakh election schedule confirms that polling for the Municipal Committees of Leh and Kargil will take place on November 21. Kargil’s municipal committee has 17 wards, while Leh has 21. The final electoral rolls published for the municipal polls list 645 electors for Kargil and 2,720 for Leh.
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Panchayat elections are also scheduled for November 21 across Ladakh. The last general elections to Panchayat Halqas were held in November 2018, when Ladakh was still part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
These are distinct electoral exercises:
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Municipal elections will determine representation in the Leh and Kargil Municipal Committees.
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Panchayat elections will determine grassroots representatives in villages across the Union Territory.
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LAHDC elections are a separate process involving the autonomous Hill Councils and are not what voters will be choosing on November 21.
This distinction matters because the immediate electoral impact of the latest party switches will be most visible in the municipal and Panchayat contests.
The Kargil Municipal Committee election, in particular, will offer an early indication of whether the BJP can use Akhoon’s entry to strengthen its urban presence and whether Congress can benefit from its new recruits.
New districts could reshape Ladakh’s political geography
The administrative reorganisation of Ladakh adds another important dimension to the political contest.
In April 2026, the administration notified five new districts: Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass, taking Ladakh’s total district count from two to seven. Sankoo was separately notified as a new district in October 2026.
These changes are expected to bring administration closer to remote communities and reduce the distance residents must travel to access government services. They also alter the administrative geography within which political parties organise and compete.
However, it would be inaccurate to assume that district creation automatically changes electoral boundaries or guarantees political gains for any party. Municipal wards, Panchayat constituencies and Hill Council constituencies operate under their respective legal and administrative frameworks.
For political parties, the challenge will be to understand how new administrative centres affect local expectations, public services and political representation.
In areas such as Sankoo and Zanskar, the creation of new districts may increase demands for local infrastructure, staffing, healthcare facilities and administrative institutions. Parties that can respond credibly to those expectations may gain political ground.
What this means for the National Conference
Akhoon’s departure is a setback for the NC, particularly because he was not a minor functionary but a former head of its most important local governance institution in Kargil.
The party’s decision to expel him followed a disagreement over the 2023 power-sharing arrangement. From the NC’s perspective, honouring the agreement was necessary to preserve the alliance with Congress. From Akhoon’s position, the dispute developed into a political conflict that ultimately ended his association with the party.
The available reports establish the disagreement and the subsequent expulsion. They do not provide enough evidence to conclude that the NC has lost its wider support base in Kargil.
The party’s actual position will become clearer through its candidate selection, campaign organisation and electoral performance.
It also remains possible that local voters will view the dispute as a disagreement among political leaders rather than a reason to change their own party preferences.
What to watch before polling day
Several developments will help determine whether this political realignment has lasting consequences:
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Akhoon’s role in BJP campaigning: Will he take an active role in candidate selection and campaigning, or will his entry remain largely symbolic?
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Congress’s use of new entrants: Can Abbasi and Fida Hussain help the party build a stronger municipal-level network?
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NC’s response: Will the party consolidate its existing support or face further organisational difficulties following the Hill Council dispute?
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Candidate selection: The parties’ choice of candidates in individual wards may matter more than high-profile inductions.
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Local issues: Voters will judge parties on employment, healthcare, roads, public services and the functioning of local institutions, not simply on political affiliations.
More than party-hopping: Kargil’s changing political equation
The entry of Mohd Jaffer Akhoon into the BJP and the induction of Raza Abbasi and Fida Hussain into Congress signal a period of political movement in Kargil. The developments have come against the backdrop of a fractured NC-Congress arrangement, the dissolution of the Hill Council and the administrative reorganisation of Ladakh.
For the BJP, Akhoon offers an experienced local figure who once led the LAHDC-Kargil. For Congress, the arrival of Abbasi and Fida Hussain provides an opportunity to strengthen its grassroots and municipal presence. For the NC, the episode is a reminder that disagreements over leadership and power-sharing can carry consequences beyond a single institution.
But the real verdict will not come from joining ceremonies or political statements. It will come from voters.
The November 21 elections will show whether these changes have altered the political balance in Kargil or whether established local loyalties remain stronger than the latest round of party realignments.
