Ladakh activists seek to postpone December 4 council polls citing harsh winters

Led by Sonam Wangchuk, leaders of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance urged the Centre to postpone the elections for maximum voter participation.

Ladakh activist groups on Wednesday appealed to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to help defer the December 4 elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) citing harsh winters and large-scale migration.

Ladakh Police later removed Wangchuk from the protest site. (Satish Bate/ HT Photo/ Representational)

Led by climate and social activist Sonam Wangchuk, leaders of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) urged the central leadership to postpone the elections for maximum voter participation.

Addressing the media, Wangchuk said, “December and January are the coldest and snowiest months in Ladakh... with temperatures dipping below -30°C in many places and nearly half the population migrating out of Ladakh for education, vacation, and pilgrimage,” he said.

Deep Dive

Why are Ladakh groups seeking to postpone the December 4 hill council elections?

Which Ladakh groups and leaders have appealed for the polls to be deferred?

What changes do Ladakh groups want besides postponing the hill council elections?

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Later, Ladakh Police removed Wangchuk from the protest site. “Sonam Wangchuk has been advised to stay at his residence in view of the prohibitory orders issued by the Chief Electoral Officer, UT Ladakh, and the District Magistrate, Leh,” Ladakh DGP, Anand Jain, posted on X.

Ladakh MP Haneefa Jan wrote to Shah. “Today, I submitted a representation to the home minister, seeking postponement of proposed LAHDC elections...,” he said.