Leh, Nov 11: In a landmark democratic exercise following the administrative restructuring of the Union Territory into eight districts, the Ladakh Election Authority has officially notified that polling for all 100 constituencies across eight Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) will be held on December 4, 2026.
The notification covers the newly established district councils across the high-altitude territory: Leh Council (22 constituencies), Kargil (21), Sankoo (13), Changthang (10), Nubra (9), Sham (9), Zanskar (9), and Drass (7). In a historic mandate for gender representation and marginalized empowerment, 36 out of the 100 elected seats have been legally reserved for women, alongside statutory provisions for the nomination of four additional councilors per council representing unrepresented tribal pockets and women.
The Hill Council election schedule comes in close succession to the Panchayat and Municipal polls scheduled for November 21, marking an unprecedented, synchronized revival of grassroots democratic institutions. In the Panchayat tier, 55 Sarpanchs and 1,186 Panchs have already been elected unopposed across Ladakh’s 192 Halqas, with polling set for the remaining contested seats. Municipal wards in Leh and Kargil will also choose ward councilors.
Addressing a press conference in Leh, Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra robustly defended the decision to conduct voting in early December, allaying public concerns regarding harsh sub-zero winter temperatures. Kundra noted that educational institutions throughout Ladakh traditionally operate through mid-December, assuring voters that the administration has instructed all district commissioners to equip polling booths with heavy-duty heating installations, winterized logistics, and priority queues for senior citizens.
Kundra clarified that the timely constitution of the new councils before the end of the calendar year is vital to empower elected representatives to deliberate, formulate, and pass their district development budgets between January and March. He dismissed rumors regarding curtailed authority, confirming that incoming councils will exercise all statutory autonomy under the LAHDC Act alongside devolution powers under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
Published by True Roots Media