Fifty-five sarpanches and 1,186 panchs have been elected unopposed in Ladakh's ongoing panchayat election process, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra said on Tuesday, according to news agency Press Trust of India.Kundra said 36 of the 100 seats across the eight Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils have been reserved for women. Panchayat and municipal elections are scheduled for November 11, while elections to the hill development councils will be held on December 4.Of the 192 panchayat halqas, or constituencies, sarpanches have been elected unopposed in 55, while elections will be held for the remaining 137 seats.
Similarly, 1,186 panch candidates have been elected unopposed out of 1,428, Kundra told a press conference, PTI reported.Elections will be held in all 21 wards of the Leh Municipal Council. In the Kargil Municipal Council, representatives in four of the 17 wards have been elected unopposed.
Kundra said the reservation of 36 hill council seats for women was being introduced for the first time and would strengthen women's representation in grassroots democratic institutions.Addressing concerns over the excise policy, Kundra said the administration had held detailed discussions with women representatives and other stakeholders while keeping local sensitivities in mind. He said the policy would be reviewed through wider consultations after the elections, as changes could not be made while the Model Code of Conduct was in force.
He said local customs and sensitivities had to be balanced with economic considerations, noting that tourism was central to Ladakh's economy and supported the livelihoods of many people.Referring to the teachings of Lord Buddha and the principle of the Middle Path, he stressed the need for a balanced approach while framing next year's excise policy.Ladakh will therefore hold elections on November 11 for the panchayat and municipal seats where candidates were not elected unopposed, followed by the hill council elections on December 4, with 36 council seats reserved for women.- Ends