Jammu: Accusing Chief Executive Councillor Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon of National Conference of reneging on a rotational power-sharing agreement by refusing to vacate the top post for the Congress the ruling National Conference-Congress alliance in Kargil’s Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) suffered a major political jolt after Congress councillors moved a no-confidence petition against Akhoon.
The petition was submitted to LAHDC Kargil CEO Rakesh Kumar, triggering a fresh political crisis in the hill council. Rakesh Kumar assured the Congress members that the matter would be processed strictly as per the provisions of the LAHDC Act and applicable rules.
The rotational power-sharing formula was announced by NC leader Omar Abdullah in October 2023 after the two parties joined hands after the NC bagged 12 seats and Congress 10 in the 30 member LAHDC. The allies together had 22 seats that were 6 more than the majority. BJP managed to win only 2 seats.
Besides the Chairman cum CEC, there are four Executive Councilors—two each from NC and Congress, who enjoy the status of Minister. Two Executive Councilors from Congress are reportedly not attending the office since 18 April when the two and half years term of the Council was completed and change of the chairman went into dispute.
Omar had agreed to the formula of the NC and Congress heading the LAHDC (Kargil) for two and half years each. The first term went to NC and Akhoon was elected Chairman-cum-CEC on 18 October 2023. He completed his term on 18 April 2026. Discontent started brewing between the two parties when Akhoon refused to step down after completing his term in office.
“Before the LAHDC-Kargil elections in 2023, the INC and NC entered into a pre-poll alliance and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) stating that the five-year council term would be shared on a rotational basis, with each party holding power for two-and-a-half years,” Congress leader Asgar Ali Karbalai said addressing a presser in Kargil.
Under the agreement, the NC was given the post of CEC and two executive councillor posts for the first term and the Congress was given two executive councillors. This arrangement, Karbalai said, was to continue for two-and-a-half years, which ended on April 18, 2026.
Karbalai said the CEC was supposed to resign and transfer power to Congress but he chose not to despite requests from the NC high command including Dr Farooq Abdullah and the Congress prompting a no-confidence motion against him and the existing council.” “Eleven Congress councillors and five NC councillors have signed the no-confidence motion,” Karbalai said. He said the coalition of the NC and Congress will remain intact.
Mohmad Haneefa, the NC-supported Ladakh MP, said for the last two-and-a-half years, both parties have governed the council smoothly under the CEC despite many challenges including those posed by the Union Territory set up. He said as the CEC has not resigned, the NC-Congress have decided to move a no-confidence motion. “Even a one-third majority would have been sufficient but we are submitting it with a simple majority.”NC had emerged as the single largest party in the 2023 elections with 12 seats in the 30-member council. Congress had won 10, The allies together commanded 22 seats, six more than the majority, BJP bagged two seats.
Unfazed, Dr Akhoon said he will not resign despite Thursday’s developments. He cited administrative fallouts from creation of five new districts in the UT Ladakh recently as the reason not to step down. He also said he was not for politics but for development and will focus on the same.
NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah last week said that there was no dispute on the issue and his party will pass on the chairmanship of LAHDC to Congress as per the 2023 understanding. Senior Congress leader from Kargil, Asgar Ali Karbalai recently said that discussions were on with the NC for change of leadership of LAHDC.
