In first election since UT status, Ladakh records 67.15% turnout

The Ladakh Lok Sabha seat recorded 67.15% voting, till 5 p.m. on May 20, in its first-ever election since the region was made a Union Territory in 2019.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer of the Union Territory, Leh district, where Buddhists are in majority, recorded 62.5% polling, and Kargil, Ladakh’s Muslim-majority district, recorded 71.45% voting.

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Over the years, there has been a downward trend in Ladakh’s voting. From 73.52% polling in 2004, it touched 71.05% in 2019 and dropped further this year. Ladakh has witnessed growing outmigration of local students and businessmen.

That said, many see this election as crucial for pushing the demands of Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule.

“Today, we have the opportunity to participate in the festival of democracy. This might be our last chance to choose the right government. So it’s crucial to use our precious vote wisely,” Syed Kazim Hussaini, a voter from Kargil, said.

Political activist Sajjad Kargili, who withdrew his nomination to support Independent candidate Haji Hanifa Jan, said he voted “to strengthen and support the development and democracy in India, particularly in Ladakh”.

The Lok Sabha election in Ladakh is being held against the backdrop of Leh and Kargil residents holding street protests demanding Statehood and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule.

Rinchen, 23, a first time voter, interacts with a Booth Level Officer (BLO) as she waits for her grandmother to help her in casting vote, in Ladakh’s remote Warshi village, home to just one family and five eligible voters, in the Ladakh on May 20, 2024. | Photo Credit: Reuters

“I cast my valuable vote for a better future for Ladakh and India,” Konchok Stanzin, a councillor from Chushul, said.

There are 1,84,804 voters spread over a vast region. While the BJP and the INDIA bloc have fielded two Buddhist candidates, Kargili has backed the Independent Muslim candidate.

An official said it took days to ensure electoral staff and voting machines reached the polling booths in high-altitude areas. He said a polling booth was set up for just five voters at Warshi village near Siachen Glacier base camp and Anley Phu near the Indo-China Border. These areas are at an altitude of 15,520 feet, he said.