Amid the ongoing agitation by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the Ladakh Administration on Tuesday announced the schedule for the forthcoming Panchayat, Municipal Council and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) elections.
Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, announced the schedule for these elections.
The Chief Secretary informed that Panchayat elections and elections to the Leh and Kargil Municipal Councils would be held on November 21, as announced by the respective electoral authorities.
Elections to all eight LAHDCs, covering 100 constituencies across Ladakh, will be held on December 4. Following the creation of eight districts from the erstwhile two districts, the number of LAHDC constituencies has increased from 26 each in Leh and Kargil to 100 across Ladakh.
The delimitation exercise was carried out in accordance with the prescribed rules, taking into account population figures and the existing Panchayat Halqas and Municipal Wards.
As per the LAHDC election schedule, November 17, 2026, is the last date for filing nominations, November 18 for scrutiny of nomination papers and November 20 for withdrawal of candidature. The entire election process is scheduled to be completed before December 8.
Sharing the election figures, the Chief Secretary informed that out of 192 Panchayat Halqas, 55 Sarpanches had been elected unopposed, while elections would be held for the remaining 137 positions.
Similarly, 1,186 Panchayat members had been elected unopposed out of a total of 1,428 candidates. In the Leh Municipal Council, elections would be held in all 21 wards, while candidates in four out of the 17 wards of the Kargil Municipal Council had been elected unopposed.
He also highlighted that, for the first time, 36 of the 100 LAHDC seats had been reserved for women, marking a significant step towards strengthening women’s representation in grassroots democratic institutions.
The Chief Secretary also clarified that the newly elected LAHDCs would retain all powers vested in them under the existing law. In addition, they would exercise the powers envisaged for District Panchayats under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, thereby further strengthening the role of the elected councils.
Addressing concerns over holding elections during winter, he assured that instructions had been issued to all deputy commissioners to ensure adequate facilities at polling stations, including heaters and separate queues for senior citizens.
He observed that the timely constitution of the councils was essential, as the newly elected LAHDCs would have January, February and March available to prepare the budget for the next financial year.
The Chief Secretary appealed to the people of Ladakh, particularly the youth, women, senior citizens, religious organisations and government employees, to participate enthusiastically in the forthcoming elections and exercise their democratic right to vote.
He noted that Panchayat elections had not been held for the past three years and described the constitution of eight new District Councils as an important milestone in strengthening democratic institutions in Ladakh.
Referring to discussions held with the Apex Body and other stakeholders, he reiterated the commitment of the Government of India and the Ladakh Administration to strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring their early constitution.
He called upon all sections of society to make the forthcoming electoral exercise a success and contribute towards further deepening democracy in Ladakh.