Kargil, Oct 18: In a dramatic turn of political events, Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, has signalled his intent to step down from his post.
The announcement came during public celebrations following the official declaration of Sankoo as Ladakh’s eighth district. Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon announced that he intended to resign from his post as Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of LAHDC Kargil in the coming days.
The Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council, the only elected body surviving in the Union Territory of Ladakh, has got a temporary reprieve as it is likely to continue its functions till delimitation of the constituencies carved out of it in three other Councils including Zanskar, Drass and Sham and now Sankoo, is completed.
Addressing in Sankoo, Dr Akhoon expressed satisfaction over the fulfilment of his long-standing objective of securing district status for Sankoo, a demand that was pursued for the better administration and development of the region. He extended his heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; Union Home Minister Amit Shah; Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena; the Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, Member of Parliament Ladakh, Haji Mohammad Haneefa Jan and other concerned officials of the UT administration of Ladakh and the members of Anjuman-e-Sahib Zaman for their contributions and support in making the announcement possible.
However, Dr Akhoon’s intent to resign also comes amidst evolving political dynamics within the LAHDC-Kargil coalition framework.
Elected as CEC in October 2023 under a power-sharing arrangement between the National Conference (NC) and the Congress party, the agreement stipulated a rotation of the council’s top office after two and a half years. Having completed that milestone alongside recent political developments, Dr Akhoon indicated that achieving district status for Sankoo marked a natural high note to wrap up his present tenure as head of the council.
“This historic milestone fulfills a long-cherished dream of the people of Sankoo and brings governance directly to their doorstep,” Dr Akhoon stated, during his address, emphasising that his primary focus had always been delivering key administrative and developmental goals for the region.
The creation of Sankoo as a separate administrative district expands Ladakh’s total district count to eight, following broader structural reorganisations, including the notification of new tehsils and boundary readjustments across the territory.
Local political observers note that Dr Akhoon’s formal submission of resignation would clear the way for administrative restructuring in the Hill Council and initiate the selection process for the next CEC of Kargil. Further formal updates regarding the leadership transition in the LAHDC-Kargil are expected in the coming days.
Notably, in July this year, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) expelled Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, the Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, from the primary membership of the party for anti-party activities and open indiscipline. The drastic action taken by the party high command came after months of escalating friction within the local I.N.D.I.A bloc alliance, culminating in Dr Akhoon’s outright refusal to honour a pre-election rotational power-sharing agreement with the Indian National Congress (INC).
Notably, the council is currently governed by an alliance between the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and the Indian National Congress, which assumed office after securing a decisive mandate in the council elections held in October 2023. The alliance collectively won 22 out of 26 seats, with the National Conference securing 12 and the Congress winning 10, while the Bharatiya Janta Party and independent candidates won two seats each.
As part of the coalition understanding reached at the time, both parties agreed to a rotational arrangement for the post of Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), the head of the council’s executive body. Under this arrangement, the leadership was to be shared for fixed durations during the council’s term. Though the term of the incumbent CEC Kargil ended on April 18, however, so far, he hasn’t resigned as CEC prompting the Congress party to move a no confidence motion.
About The Author
