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Sunday, Oct 23, 2005

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Congress routed in Leh elections

Shujaat Bukhari

LUTF gets 24 out of 26 seats

SRINAGAR: The Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF) has registered a big victory by winning 24 out of 26 seats of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). One seat is disputed and another was won by the Congress uncontested. The elections were held on October 16.

The Congress polled about 22,000 votes against a total of nearly 55,000 votes in the election in 25 constituencies. The election was fought by the LUTF on the demand for Union Territory status for Leh.

Satish Nehru, Deputy Commissioner of Leh, told The Hindu that all the 24 seats for which resulted were declared had been won by the LUTF. About one seat of Chechoot, he said there was some dispute about eight missing votes and "it has been referred to the Ladakh Affairs Department of the Jammu and Kashmir Government."

This is the first time since the inception of the LAHDC the Congress has been voted out. This time LAHDC chairman Rigzin Spalbar lost the election to one seat though he was declared elected on an uncontested seat.

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