Kargil: Newly-elected Councilors of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, were officially sworn in at a ceremony held on Tuesday at the Syed Mehdi Auditorium Hall in Kargil town.
The oath of office was administered to 26 elected Councilors by the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Kargil, Iqbal Ahmed Masoodi.
The Councilors who took the oath include Abdul Samad, Abdul Wahid, Mohammad Jawad, Kacho Mohammad Feroz, Abdul Hadi, Aga Ai-nul-huda, Stanzin Gigmet, Punchock Tashi, Stanzin Lakpa, Altaf Hussain, Haji Mohammad Abass, Khadim Hussain, Mohammad Amin, Manzoor Hussain, Feroz Ahmed Khan, Nasir Hussain Munshi, Syed Mujataba Mossavi, Syed Ali, Mohammad Sajjad Khan, Ghulam Haider, Ashiq Ali, Dr. Mohammad Jaffar Akhoon, Zakir Hussain, Liyaqat Ali Khan, and Padma Dorje.
Prominent figures, including Deputy Commissioner/CEO of LAHDC, Election Authority Kargil, Shrikant Suse, and other district officers, attended the oath ceremony. Former ministers and MLAs, representatives of various religious organizations, members of various political parties were also present to witness the event.
Following the oath-taking ceremony, the authorities scheduled the first meeting of the LAHDC Kargil for October 18, during which the Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) cum Chairman is to be elected.
The process for this involves the convening of the Council meeting by the Deputy Commissioner of Kargil, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the Council, followed by the election of the Chairman-cum-CEC, which can take place either unanimously or through voting.
Pertinently, the National Conference (NC) is set to hold the post of Chairman-cum-CEC for the initial two-and-half years as part of a rotation agreement with the Congress. Dr. Mohammad Jaffar Akhoon, a retired Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and NC Councilor, has been unanimously chosen for the post of Chairman-cum-CEC from the National Conference.
The Congress party will wrest the CEC post for next two-and-half years, with Nassir Munshi, the district president of the party, emerging as a front-runner for the position.
The NC and Congress have formed a joint coordination committee to work together on the development of Kargil district. Their alliance is aimed at keeping the BJP away from power in the region.
In the recent elections for the 5th LAHDC-Kargil, the National Conference secured a significant victory by winning 12 seats, making it the single largest party. The Congress came in second with 10 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win only two seats. Additionally, four Councilors are nominated by the administration, making for a diverse and inclusive council that aims to promote the development of Kargil.
