Why Ladakh-Kargil groups want hill council polls boycotted-deferred

The December 4 polls have prompted calls for an indefinite protest over unresolved issues of delimitation and constitutional safeguards for the Union territoryThe Ladakh Union territory administration has announced polls for the eight hill councils on December 4 despite demands from Leh and Kargil-based groups for a deferment of the process, including the panchayat and municipal elections slated for November 21.Leh-based groups had already called for a boycott of the elections, citing seasonal migration of nearly 25 per cent of the local population, especially senior citizens, extreme weather and unresolved issues over delimitation and constitutional safeguards for the region. Soon after the poll notifications were issued on November 10, the Ladakh bodies announced an “indefinite dharna” beginning November 12.The Union territory administration, headed by Ladakh lieutenant governor V.K. Saxena, on November 10 issued a gazette notification calling upon all 100 “constituencies of all the eight” Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) “to elect members for the purpose of constituting new councils”. Soon after, a separate notification announcing the schedule for elections to the eight hill councils was issued by the State Election Commission. According to it, polling for electing members to the new hill councils across all eight districts of Ladakh would be held on December 4.The entire process, including the results, is to be completed by December 8. November 17 has been fixed as the last date for filing nominations, November 18 for scrutiny and November 20 for withdrawal of candidature. The notifications were issued on a day Kargil region was observing a complete shutdown, demanding postponement of the LAHDC elections as well as municipal and panchayat polls until the winter season had passed.Taking a hard line, three influential Leh-based organisations—the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), Ladakh Gonpa Association, and Nambardar Association—have issued a call to boycott the panchayat and municipal polls. “Whichever elections are being announced, including the hill council elections, will be boycotted by the people of Ladakh,” Chering Dorjay Lakrook, president of LBA, told INDIA TODAY.Lakrook is also convener of the Apex Body Leh (ABL), which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) is leading the agitation for Ladakh’s rights as well as constitutional safeguards to the region’s autonomy.The ABL and KDA were also leading the now-stalled talks with the central government on these issues. As the negotiations stalled, the Centre proceeded with a sweeping restructuring of local governance in the Union territory, prompting suspicion that the region’s political future was being reshaped without its people’s consent.“How are they (Ladakh administration) conducting elections without [the participation of] people? They are forcing it,” charged Lakrook. He said people had strong reservations about the delimitation process based upon which the hill councils have been constituted.Lakrook said there was palpable anger over the delay in making public the report of the judicial inquiry commission that probed the September 24, 2025 violence in Ladakh. Four people were killed in police firing on protesters, who were demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections for the Union territory. He added that people have also been demanding a rollback of the new liquor policy and designation of Ladakh as a dry Union territory.Lakrook said ABL had decided to launch an indefinite sit-in protest from November 12 over all contentious issues, including the delay in resumption of stalled talks by the Centre.In his statement about the Kargil shutdown on November 10, KDA convenor Sajjad Kargili said the notifications, including election schedules, had been issued without consulting local people and that “unilateral” decisions were unacceptable. “The reason behind holding this shutdown is that attempts are being made to weaken democracy in Ladakh. Conspiracies are being hatched to snatch our land. Every day, we are witnessing an unending process of orders and notifications from the administration without the consent of local people. While the people of Ladakh are concerned about delimitation, gerrymandering is on,” Kargili said in a video statement on X.Ladakh’s Lok Sabha MP Mohammad Haneefa Jan has also written to the lieutenant governor to reconsider the proposed polls. The letter cites seasonal migration, extreme weather and the need for a comprehensive revision of electoral rolls.“The credibility of the democratic institutions rests not merely on the timely conduct of elections but, more importantly, on ensuring that every eligible citizen can participate freely, fairly and without undue hardship,” stated the letter. “Holding elections during this period, without adequately addressing these circumstances, could deprive many eligible voters of a fair opportunity to participate in a democratic process.”Responding to the reservations expressed by various groups across Ladakh, chief secretary Ashish Kundra argued that weather conditions should not prevent people from exercising their franchise. He cited that even schools in Ladakh remain open until December 15 whereas the poll date was December 4.“If children can go to school, I don’t think adults cannot go out to vote,” Kundra said, describing the hill council elections as a “watershed moment” for the region. He urged people to demonstrate their commitment to the democratic process by turning up to vote. The chief secretary claimed that feedback received from the districts had indicated broad public satisfaction with the delimitation process.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends