# 2023 Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil election

Elections were held in October 2023 for the 26 seats of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil. This was also the first election conducted in the union territory of Ladakh since its split from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
The Indian National Congress and Jammu & Kashmir National Conference contested the elections under the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. The NC-Congress alliance won 22 seats in a landslide whereas the BJP won only 2 seats.

## Background

There were 74,026 voters including 46,762 women, who exercise their franchises through EVMs in 278 polling stations across the Kargil. Totally 85 candidates were in the fray. The voter turnout was 78% , which was an increase of 8% from the 2018 council Election, mainly due to the returning of Kargil’s migrant population for the election.
Out of 26 seats, 23 are Muslim majority seats and three are Buddhist majority seats. The Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust and Anjuman Jamiatul Ulama Islamia School-Kargil are the main Shite seminaries in Kargil. The Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust extended its support to the Indian National Congress and the Anjuman Jamiatul Ulama Islamia School-Kargil is rooting for the Jammu & Kashmir National Conferences. The Bharatiya Janata Party had earlier promised district status to the Buddhist majority Zanskar tehsil but failed to deliver the promise and is facing resentment from people in Buddhist majority seats like Karsha and Padun which are part of Zanskar. Samanla Dorje, a Buddhist Congress leader has also said "People can no more be fooled by the promise of district status to Zanskar,” .

## Schedule

Election Department, Ladakh has announced the schedule to conduct the election for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil on 9 September 2023:
| Poll Event | Date |
| Date from which nominations can be made | 9 September 2023 |
| Last date for making nominations | 16 September 2023 |
| Date for scrutiny of nominations | 18 September 2023 |
| Last date for the withdrawal of nominations | 20 September 2023 |
| Date on which poll shall, if necessary, be held | 4 October 2023 |
| Timing of Poll | 8.00 AM to 4.00 PM |
| Date of counting of votes | 8 October 2023 |
| Date before which the Election shall be completed | 11 October 2023 |

## Exit Poll

Seat Share Projections :
| Polling agency | Date published | | | | | Majority |
| Polling agency | Date published | JKNC | INC | BJP | Others | Majority |
| Gulistan News | 5 oct 2023 | 10-12 | 9-11 | 1-3 | 4-5 | Hung |

## Results

| 12 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| JKNC | INC | BJP | IND |
Vote share of different parties in the election

### Results by party and alliance

Vote share of different alliances in the election
| Alliance | Alliance | Parties | Parties | Symbol | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote | Seats Won | Seats Won | Seats Won |
| Alliance | Alliance | Parties | Parties | Symbol | Votes | % | ± % | Contested | Won | +/- |
| | INDIA | | Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | | 23,578 | 30.75% | | 17 | 12 | 2 |
| | INDIA | | Indian National Congress | | 27,303 | 35.61% | | 22 | 10 | 2 |
| | INDIA | | Total | | 50,881 | 66.36% | | 26 | 22 | 4 |
| | NDA | | Bharatiya Janata Party | | 10,934 | 14.26% | | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| None | None | | Aam Aadmi Party | | 241 | 0.31% | | 4 | 0 | |
| None | None | | Independents | Independents | 14,624 | 19.07% | | 25 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 76,680 | 100% | | | 26 | |

### Results by constituency

Constituency wise results :
| Constituency | Constituency | Winner | Winner | Winner | Winner | Runner up | Runner up | Runner up | Runner up | Margin |
| No | Name | Name | Party | Party | Votes | Name | Party | Party | Votes | Margin |
| 1 | Ranbirpora | Abdul Samad | | INC | 1,949 | Mubarak Shah Nagvi S | | JKNC | 1,374 | 575 |
| 2 | Bhimbat | Abdul Wahid | | JKNC | 1,947 | Talib Hussain | | INC | 1,895 | 52 |
| 3 | Shargole | Mohammad Jawad | | INC | 1,978 | Mohammad Ali Chandan | | BJP | 1,913 | 65 |
| 4 | Pashkum | Kacho Mohammad Feroz | | INC | 1,756 | Mohammad Ali | | IND | 1,406 | 350 |
| 5 | Taisuru | Abdul Hadi | | INC | 1,717 | Syed Abbass | | JKNC | 1,456 | 261 |
| 6 | Parkachik | Agha Anul Huda | | INC | 2,165 | Ghulam Mohammad | | IND | 1,037 | 1,128 |
| 7 | Karsha | Stanzin Jigmat | | INC | 1,509 | Rigzin Tsewang | | BJP | 1,430 | 79 |
| 8 | Padum | Punchok Tashi | | JKNC | 1,745 | Skalzang Wangyal | | BJP | 1,691 | 54 |
| 9 | Cha | Stanzin Lakpa | | BJP | 798 | Tenzin Sonam | | INC | 564 | 234 |
| 10 | Chuliskamboo | Altaf Hussain | | JKNC | 1,480 | Reyaz Ahmad Khan | | IND | 1,173 | 307 |
| 11 | Kargil Town | Mohammad Abbass Adulpa | | JKNC | 1,953 | Mohammad Hussain | | INC | 668 | 1,285 |
| 12 | Baroo | Khadim Hussain | | INC | 1,099 | Muhammad Hanifa Jan | | JKNC | 1,033 | 66 |
| 13 | Poyen | Mohammad Amin | | JKNC | 1,322 | Haji Anayat Ali | | BJP | 962 | 360 |
| 14 | Yourbaltak | Manzoor Ul Hussain | | JKNC | 1,452 | Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan | | IND | 1,362 | 90 |
| 15 | Silmoo | Feroz Ahmed Khan | | JKNC | 1,638 | Mohammad Ali Khan | | INC | 665 | 973 |
| 16 | Choskore | Nasir Hussain Munshi | | INC | 1,447 | Mohammad Raza | | JKNC | 1,013 | 434 |
| 17 | Trespone | Syed Mujtaba | | JKNC | 1,292 | Nawaz Ali | | IND | 1,106 | 186 |
| 18 | Gund Mangalpur | Syed Ali | | IND | 1,313 | Mohammad Abbass | | INC | 978 | 335 |
| 19 | Saliskote | Mohammad Sajjad | | JKNC | 1,144 | Syed Hassan | | INC | 944 | 200 |
| 20 | Lankarchey | Ghulam Haider | | JKNC | 1,202 | Mohammad Sadiq | | INC | 786 | 416 |
| 21 | Thangdumbur | Ashiq Ali | | JKNC | 1,643 | Mohammad Ali | | BJP | 519 | 1,124 |
| 22 | Thasgam Thuina | Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon | | JKNC | 1,405 | Sheikh Mohd Hussain | | INC | 1,311 | 94 |
| 23 | Barsoo | Ghulam Mohammad | | IND | 1,411 | Ghulam Abbass Wazir | | INC | 1,183 | 228 |
| 24 | Shakar | Zakir Hussain | | INC | 1,339 | Kacho Shameem Ahmad Khan | | IND | 1,001 | 338 |
| 25 | Chiktan | Liyaqut Ali Khan | | INC | 850 | Mohsin Ali | | BJP | 489 | 361 |
| 26 | Stakchay Khangral | Padma Dorjey | | BJP | 1,007 | Syed Hassan | | INC | 830 | 177 |

## Also see

* 2023 elections in India
* Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency