Should Ladakh be hub of agitation or development?: LAHDC-K’s former Chief Executive Councillor

Dr. Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon, former Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC-K) who recently joined the BJP. Credit: X/@drajaffer

As the Leh Apex Body’s (LAB) indefinite sit-in entered its second day on Friday (November 13, 2026), a former Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC-K) asked voters to “decide if the region should become a hub of agitation or a hub of development”.

Dr. Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon’s remarks came as LAB continued its protest in Leh pushing for the resumption of talks with the Centre and for the postponement of hill council elections.

“I appeal to voters, especially the new generation, to participate in the upcoming elections of panchayat, municipality and hill councils. We want democracy. Don’t we want elected councillors to raise the issues of people. Unfortunately, some people have developed vested interest. We need to think whether we want this region as a hub of agitation or a hub for development,” said Mr. Akhoon, who recently stepped down as CEC of the LAHDC-K and joined the BJP.

Without naming the agitating civil society groups, the LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), Mr. Akhoon said, “The common man is being led astray.”

Countering the issues raised by the LAB and KDA over holding hill council elections in eight districts at the peak of winters, Mr. Akhoon said, “Assembly elections, in the past, took place in November and December in the region. Colleges and universities remain functional. There is no question of migration of students from this place”.

Mr. Akhoon, who is one of the members holding talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs on special status for the region, said the talks had made “a significant headway” by October 15.

“There were a few points of disagreement, which included who will write the Annual Performance Reports of Ladakh’s Chief Secretary and what should be the name of the elected body. The Centre had agreed to a unique position for Ladakh under Article 371 and an elected body, which could legislate on land, jobs etc. In fact, the Centre intended to pass a law in this direction in the winter session of the Parliament,” he said.

He said those who argue that there was no history of elections in winters “forget that there was no history of eight districts, Zojila Tunnel and the Centre’s equitable handholding of the region too”.

“The decision to hold elections is neither of the Ladakh administration nor the Centre but the State Election Commission. There have been assurances that the issues regarding the delimitation will be addressed once census report somes in 2027,” said Mr. Akhoon.

Meanwhile, the sit-in protest of the LAB, supported by the KDA, in Leh completed two days. LAB co-chairman Tsering Dorjey Lakrook, who spoke at the protest site at Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Memorial Park, said the dharna will “intensify from November 14”. “Religious heads will lead it,” said Mr. Lakrook.

Scores of protests raised placards and listed six demands to end the sit-in protest. It included opposition to simultaneous elections of panchayat, municipality and councils; convening the MHA Sub-Committee meeting; release of the Judicial Enquiry Commission report on the 24th September incident; unconditional withdrawal of all cases; constituting of an independent Delimitation Commission and complete roll back of the new liquor policy.