Ladakh Announces First Panchayat Elections as a Union Territory

Nominations Open Until November 2; Polling on November 21, Model Code of Conduct Comes into Force

Jammu, October 22: The Election Commission has announced panchayat elections across the Union Territory of Ladakh, bringing the region’s rural local bodies into the electoral process as a separate Union Territory for the first time. The announcement was made on Wednesday, following which the Model Code of Conduct came into force across Ladakh.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), elections will be held in all panchayat halqas on November 21, with the entire election process scheduled to be completed by November 30. Candidates can file their nomination papers until November 2.

These will be the first panchayat elections in Ladakh since it became a separate Union Territory. The last panchayat elections were held in 2018, when Ladakh was part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ladakh’s Administrative Reorganisation

On October 31, 2019, under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Since then, the administrative and electoral framework of Ladakh has continued to evolve. The upcoming panchayat elections mark an important step in constituting elected rural local bodies under its separate administrative structure.

Elections Necessary to Constitute New Panchayats

Announcing the election schedule, Election Commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey said that conducting elections had become necessary for the formation of new panchayats in the Union Territory.

Under Rule 7 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996, provisions exist for conducting elections to the posts of Sarpanch and Panch in panchayat halqas.

Model Code of Conduct in Force

With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect across Ladakh. The electoral process will cover all panchayat halqas, allowing rural voters to elect their local representatives.

The elections are expected to facilitate the constitution of new panchayat bodies and strengthen grassroots-level representation in the Union Territory.

The completion of the electoral process by November 30 will mark a significant development in Ladakh’s local governance framework.