Ladakh Hill Council Polls Set for December Amid Protests Over Winter Timing

Ladakh will hold elections for all eight Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils, covering 100 constituencies, on December 4. Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra announced that the seats have increased from 26 each in Leh and Kargil to 100 across the region following the creation of eight districts from the erstwhile two districts. November 17 is the last day for filing nominations, November 18 for scrutiny, and November 20 for withdrawal. The election process will finish before December 8, and 36 of the 100 seats are reserved for women for the first time.

Reactions and Protests

The announcement coincided with a shutdown in Kargil organized by the Kargil Democratic Alliance to protest the timing of the polls during harsh winter conditions and the lack of consultation on delimitation. KDA co-chairman Sajjad Kargili criticized the administration for imposing unilateral decisions. Meanwhile, Leh Apex Body co-chairman Tsering Dorjey Lakrook announced a sit-in strike starting November 12, citing the Ministry of Home Affairs for failing to hold a promised subcommittee meeting on October 22 and delaying the judicial inquiry report on the September 24, 2025 violence in Leh that left four dead and 80 injured. Mr. Lakrook supported panchayat and municipal polls to empower grassroots democracy, but opposed holding hill council elections in December.

Context

Ladakh's leadership and civil society groups have held extensive talks with the Union government demanding full Statehood and Sixth Schedule constitutional protections for the region. The region experiences extreme sub-zero winter temperatures that heavily impact mobility, which forms the core of local objections to holding major electoral exercises during December.