Sanjeev Pargal
Leh without elected body for over 7 months
Centre may take joint decision for all 7 districts
JAMMU, June 15: Uncertainty prevails over the fate of no-confidence motion moved by 16 Councilors against Chairman-cum-CEC Kargil Hill Development Council even as the Chairman stays firm and is going ahead with regular work while Leh district stays without elected Council for past seven and half months with its powers vested to the Deputy Commissioner.
Officials, however, told the Excelsior that the no-confidence motion moved against the CEC Kargil has been forwarded by the Deputy Commissioner Kargil to the UT administration as per rules and procedures. The ball is now in the court of the UT administration which has to convene the Council to take up the motion.
Dr Mohammad Zaffar Akhoon, Chairman-cum-CEC Kargil Hill Council has been holding his ground firmly by carrying out regular developmental works and is also confident of passing the floor test whenever the no-trust vote is taken up in the House. The Council work is presently being carried out by the CEC and two Executive Councilors as two other Executive Councilors, who were from the Congress, have resigned and signed the no-confidence motion, which was moved on May 14.
Mohammad Hanifa Jan, lone Lok Sabha member from Ladakh and a National Conference leader and Nassir Munshi, District Congress president Kargil, who is claimant for post of the CEC Kargil Council, have sent reminder to the UT administration on no-confidence motion. Munshi expressed confidence that the House will be convened at the earliest to take up the trust vote.
Crisis gripped the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development on May 14 after a total of 16 Councilors signed the no-confidence motion against Dr Akhoon, which is majority in the Council of 30 members. They include nine from Congress, five from NC and two Independents. In the Council, NC has 12 Councilors, Congress 10 and BJP six (two elected plus four nominated) besides there are two Independents. Twenty six Councilors are elected while four are nominated by the UT administration.
As per the power-sharing agreement reached between NC and Congress before Hill Council elections, both parties had to hold the post of Chairman-cum-CEC for two and half years each. The first term went to the NC and Dr Akhoon was elected as the Chairman.
Election for Kargil Hill Council was held on October 4, 2023 while counting of votes took place on October 8. The Council was formed on October 18, 2023. Dr Akhoon completed his two and half years term as the CEC-cum-chairperson of the Council on April 18, 2026 but refused to resign on the ground that five new districts have been formed in Ladakh including two carved out of Kargil district.
On the other, Leh district also remains without an elected Council since October, 2025. The BJP-headed Council completed its five-year term in October last year and fresh elections to the body were not held due to announcement of five new districts.
As per the Constitutional provisions governing the Hill Councils, the districts can’t be kept without an elected body for a maximum period of one year. Unless the Constitution is amended, a new Council in Leh has to be in place by October this year. However, since three new districts have been carved out of Leh and two from Kargil, the decision will be taken by the Centre jointly for all seven districts and not Leh alone.
The Government of India has to take a decision on all seven districts which have been assured Hill Development Councils in an agreement reached at the Sub-Committee meeting convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 22 in New Delhi. Besides Councils, the in-principle agreement also assured UT-level elected body to Ladakh which legislative, executive and financial powers, besides other safeguards.
Sources said the Centre may have to take the Parliament route to settle the Ladakh issues once the agreement is finalized between MHA and twin UT bodies—Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance.
