SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the party will hand over the chairmanship of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC-K) to the Congress as per the understanding reached between allies in 2023 to defuse the crisis triggered by the refusal of the current chairman to step down.“We are handing over (the committee chairmanship) to the Congress,” Farooq told TOI.Tensions have heightened over the past two weeks after Congress accused the current LAHDC-K chief executive, NC’s Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, of refusing to quit even after completing the two-and-a-half-year term agreed upon among the allies after the 2023 parliamentary polls. Akon cited the administrative implications of the recent creation of five new districts in the federal territory as a reason for not stepping down.NC emerged as the largest party in the October 2023 elections, with 12 seats in the 30-member parliament. The Congress won 10 seats. The Allies won a total of 22 seats, six more than the majority party. The BJP won two seats.Amid the tensions, Ladakh Congress Party chief Asgar Ali Karbalai dismissed reports of discord, insisting there were no differences between the allies on the committee issue. He said the Chiefs’ rotation will be consistent with the 2023 agreement and that the change will be formalized soon. Mohammad Hanifa, a Ladakh lawmaker backed by the National Council, also weighed in on the fray, stressing that the council was stable and internal issues were being resolved.The 2023 polls assume political significance as they come after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the emergence of Ladakh and J&K as two Union Territories (UTs). NC Vice President and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed gratitude to the Congress for its “unwavering support” and thanked the people of Kargil for supporting the alliance.There are two hill committees in Ladakh UT – LAHDC-K and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Leh (LAHDC-L). Leh Assembly was established in 1995 and Kargil Assembly in 2003.The Center approved five new Ladakh regions in August 2024. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena informed them on April 26 this year, taking the total number to seven. The new districts include Sham, Nubra, Changthang in Leh and Zanskar and Drass in Kargil. It is not clear whether these committees are affiliated to the Kargil and Leh committees or are separate agencies.
