The National Conference and Congress on Tuesday announced a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil elections likely to be held in August-September.
The announcement was made at a press conference by senior NC and Congress leaders of Kargil district.
According to Asgar Karbalie, working president of the Ladakh unit of Congress, the seat sharing arrangement will be worked out after consultation with senior leaders of both the parties.
He said both parties will not support independent candidates and will only field candidates on their party tickets. “We don’t want the independent candidates to become a tool for the BJP,” he said.
He said the pre-poll arrangement would convert into a post-poll alliance and there would be a 50/50 power-sharing formula between both the parties in the council.
Senior NC leader Qamar Ali Akhoon said the parties have decided against stating each other.
The election schedule for the Kargil Hill Council elections is likely to be announced in the first week of August. The voting for all 26 seats will be held in the first week of September. The rest of the members are nominated.
The political parties in Kargil are demanding statehood for Ladakh and constitutional safeguards for land, jobs and resources in the region. The leadership of the district has formed Kashmir Democratic Alliance (KDA) and has joined hands with Leh Apex Body (LAB) to implement the Sixth Schedule for the region, on the lines of some northeastern states.