Ladakh Municipal Polls on Nov. 21; Model Code of Conduct Comes into Force
The publication of the electoral rolls marks the formal commencement of the election process.
SRINAGAR: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Ladakh, Rahul Sharma, on Friday announced that elections to the municipal committees of Leh and Kargil will be held on November 21, paving the way for the first urban local body polls in the Union Territory since Ladakh was carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
The elections will be conducted for all 38 wards across the two municipal committees, including 21 wards in Leh and 17 wards in Kargil. The elected bodies had completed their terms a couple of years ago, making the polls a significant step towards restoring elected local governance in the region. The last municipal and panchayat elections in Ladakh were held in 2018 when the region was still part of the erstwhile state of J&K.
According to an official statement, the electoral rolls for both municipal committees were published on Thursday, with October 1 fixed as the qualifying date for eligible voters. The publication of the electoral rolls marks the formal commencement of the election process.
As per the proposed schedule, the notification for the municipal elections will be issued on October 29. Candidates seeking to contest the polls will be able to file their nomination papers until November 5. The scrutiny of nominations has been scheduled for November 6, while candidates will have time until November 9 to withdraw their nominations.
The election authorities said that the allotment of election symbols and the publication of the final list of contesting candidates will also take place on November 9. Polling across all 38 wards is scheduled for November 21, and the entire election process is expected to be completed by November 30.
Officials said the elections will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000, and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Committee (Election) Rules, 2003, which continue to govern the conduct of municipal polls in the Union Territory.
With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect and will remain in force until the completion of the electoral process. The administration has directed all political parties, candidates, government departments and other concerned authorities to strictly observe the code and comply with guidelines issued by the competent authority.
