LAHDC-Kargil Polls: Setback For BJP As National Conference, Congress Secure Victory

JAMMU: The National Conference and Congress on Monday celebrated the victory of their alliance in the elections to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)- Kargil at their party headquarters here, while the CPI(M) said the result created a hope for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The NC-Congress combine swept the hill council polls in Kargil, winning 22 of the total 26 seats that were up for grabs, while the BJP and independents managed victory in two seats each.

The alliance dubbed the results as a "referendum" against the Centre's August 5, 2019 decision of abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. NC workers led by provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta and former minister Ajay Sadhotra assembled at Residency Road party headquarters in Jammu and danced to the tunes of drums to mark the victory of the alliance.

"The BJP is afraid of holding (assembly) elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the Kargil poll victory vindicated its fear," Sadhotra claimed, adding the Kargil poll results will work as a booster dose for the party cadre and "we are sure of forming the next government in J&K". Targeting BJP for its failure to hold assembly polls in J&K for the last five years, he said though the country is the largest democracy in the world, but "we do not know why democracy is stopped when it reaches Lakhanpur (the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir)." He claimed that the people of J&K are fed up with the BJP and its "false promises" as they suffer on account of inflation, unemployment and water and power crisis.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress activists led by working president Raman Bhalla also marked the Kargil poll victory by distributing sweets and bursting crackers, while chanting slogans in praise of Rahul Gandhi and the party for 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. "Whenever assembly elections are held in J&K, a similar result is in store for the BJP. The victory of the Congress candidates is the outcome of the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Gandhi who visited both Kargil and Leh districts in August," Bhalla said.

J&K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma congratulated the people of Kargil and the leadership of opposition bloc INDIA for the thumping victory of the Congress-NC alliance in Ladakh. "Despite having a friendly contest on the majority of the seats, the Congress-NC alliance achieved full majority, while the BJP got only two seats which shows the impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," he said.

Referring to the opposition protest in Jammu on October 10, he said, "We will press for early assembly elections to restore electoral democracy and constitutional rights to the people. We are sure that the BJP will be defeated by the INDIA alliance." Senior CPI(M) leader and former legislator M Y Tarigami also congratulated the people of Kargil for the poll result and said "post August 2019 when Centre divided and virtually dismantled J&K, a new situation emerged wherein the BJP started claiming that they are enjoying massive support as it fulfilled the popular demand from the people of Ladakh".

"The Kargil poll result is quite contrary to what they have been claiming. The message from the people of Kargil is crystal clear that nobody should take the masses forgranted," he said, adding "there is also a good message for us as well that the opposition needs to stand united to defeat this authoritarian regime." Tarigami said the poll outcome in Kargil was on the expected lines and "it created a hope for all of us as well".