SRINAGAR: Uncertainty shrouds the leadership of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, as a no-confidence motion has been moved against its Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), Dr Mohammad Zaffar Akhoon. While Dr Akhoon continues to hold office and manage council affairs, the motion, supported by 16 councillors, awaits a formal meeting of the council to be convened by the Union Territory administration.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the no-confidence motion was officially forwarded to the UT administration by the Deputy Commissioner, Kargil. This procedural step is a prerequisite for the administration to schedule a meeting where the motion can be debated and voted upon. Despite the challenge, Dr Akhoon has expressed confidence in his ability to prove his majority during a floor test. Council operations are currently being managed by the CEC and two Executive Councillors, following the resignation of two Congress Executive Councillors who have joined the opposition to Dr Akhoon’s leadership.
The political instability within the Kargil council was triggered on May 14 when 16 out of the 30-member council submitted the motion. The signatories included nine Congress councillors, five from the National Conference (NC), and two Independents. The council’s current composition comprises 12 NC councillors, 10 Congress councillors, six BJP members, and two Independents.
This challenge to Dr Akhoon’s position is rooted in a pre-election power-sharing agreement between the NC and the Congress. Under this arrangement, both parties were slated to hold the CEC’s post for two-and-a-half-year terms each. Dr Akhoon, who assumed office after the 2023 Hill Council elections, completed his initial term in April this year. However, he has resisted stepping down, reportedly citing the recent reorganisation of districts within Ladakh as a reason for the delay.
Concurrently, the Leh district has been operating without an elected Hill Council since October 2025, following the conclusion of the BJP-led council’s term. Elections have not been conducted in Leh due to the announcement of five new districts across Ladakh. In the interim period, the administrative powers of the council have been delegated to the Deputy Commissioner of Leh.
The existing legal framework governing the Hill Councils stipulates that a district cannot remain without an elected body for a period exceeding one year. This legal provision implies that a new council in Leh must be constituted by October 2026, unless the relevant legal provisions are amended. The broader administrative restructuring in Ladakh, which includes the creation of three new districts from Leh and two from Kargil, is central to this ongoing political situation.
Sources indicate that the Union government is anticipated to make a comprehensive decision concerning all seven districts. During a meeting held on May 22, convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi, representatives were assured that all districts would eventually be equipped with Hill Development Councils. Discussions also encompassed proposals for a Union Territory-level elected body endowed with legislative, executive, and financial authority.
It is understood that the Centre may eventually need to enact legislative changes through Parliament once a consensus is reached with the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance on the future governance framework for Ladakh. The final decisions are expected to address the structure and powers of the Hill Development Councils across the newly demarcated districts.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
