Uncertainty looms large over the elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, as the Ladakh administration has vested all powers of the Council in the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Leh, Romil Singh Donk, until a new Council is constituted following fresh polls.
The five-year term of the LAHDC-Leh expired on Friday. Soon after the term of the BJP-controlled elected Council ended, the administration issued an order assigning its powers to the Deputy Commissioner with immediate effect.
The order, issued by the Department of Law and Justice, Union Territory of Ladakh, formally authorized the DC Leh to handle all affairs of the Council until elections are held and a new body is formed.
Although it is widely believed that elections to the LAHDC-Leh could not be held due to the unprecedented violence in Leh on September 24, the Ladakh administration has officially cited two other reasons for the delay — the creation of new districts and the implementation of one-third reservation for women in the Hill Councils.
"In view of the ongoing process for the creation of new districts and the consequent need for redrawing boundaries of Council areas and constituencies, along with the requirement to implement the amendment to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997, providing one-third reservation for women, holding elections to constitute a new LAHDC-Leh is not practicable at this stage, as it would lead to representational anomalies and administrative inconsistencies," the order stated.
"For effective discharge of functions, Romil Singh Donk, Deputy Commissioner, Leh, shall administer the affairs of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, with effect from October 31, 2025, until a new Council is constituted following fresh elections," it further added.
Last elections held in October 2020
The last elections to the LAHDC-Leh were held in October 2020, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained control by winning 15 out of 26 seats.
Before the abrogation of Article 370, when Ladakh was part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Hill Councils enjoyed sweeping powers on key regional matters. However, after Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union Territory in 2019, local leaders allege that the Council's authority has been significantly curtailed, with the bureaucracy taking over most decision-making powers.
Leh violence and new districts behind delay
Leh witnessed unprecedented violence on September 24, when protests in the town spiraled out of control. Demonstrators set ablaze the BJP headquarters in Ladakh, prompting police action in which four protesters were killed. A massive crackdown followed, with dozens of arrests across the district.
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on August 25, 2024, had approved the creation of five new districts in Ladakh — three in Leh and two in Kargil. Later, on December 3, 2024, the Centre announced a 33 percent reservation for women in both Hill Councils of Leh and Kargil, necessitating a revision of constituencies before elections could be held.
