Stakes high for BJP, Congress for Leh Council’s byelection scheduled today
- The Timisgam constituency seat in Khalsi tehsil had fallen vacant after the Congress councillor from the constituency, Sonam Dorjey, died
- While the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party did not field their candidates, the nomination of the Aam Aadmi Party was rejected, leaving only the Congress and BJP candidates in the fray
A political slugfest is brewing in Ladakh, where the BJP is trying to wrest power from the Congress in latter’s stronghold of the Timisgam constituency in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, bypoll to be held tomorrow.
Even as it is just a byelection, it has become a prestige issue due to which senior leaders of the BJP and Congress are camping in the constituency. As there is no legislature after the creation of the UT, the LAHDC is the only powerful body that makes decisions regarding development.
The election to the Timisgam constituency in Khalsi tehsil of Ladakh will be held on September 13. While the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not field their candidates, the nomination of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was rejected, leaving only Congress and BJP candidates in the fray.
The seat had fallen vacant after the Congress councillor from the constituency, Sonam Dorjey, died. Parties held a high-voltage campaign that came to an end yesterday. Even the BJP MP from Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal took interest in the campaigning of the party.
The counting of polls will take place on September 17. There are nearly 2,100 voters in the constituency. The last Leh LAHDC polls were held in 2020 in which the BJP won 15, Congress nine and two seats were won by independents.
Tsering Phuntsog, former police IG and an AAP leader, said the rejection of nomination was genuine. “We understand that the rejection was genuine. We will now start preparing for the next LAHDC election in 2025 as our party is growing in the cold desert,” said Phuntsog.
While the elections to the LAHDC are generally contested on developmental issues, this time the Congress has also used the demand of the Sixth Schedule for the UT.
