As the ruling National Conference has failed to get its "plough" symbol for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil elections before the expiry of the last date of filing papers, all party candidates have filed their nominations as "independents" on different symbols.
After the announcement of the schedule for the LAHDC Kargil elections the National Conference, which is heading the council, has indulged in a legal battle with the Ladakh administration to get its "plough" symbol.
The National Conference has been struggling to get "plough" as the party's election symbol for this prestigious poll but failed to get its symbol in time.
As the process of filing nominations ended on August 23, all National Conference candidates filed their papers as "Independents" because the decision on "plough" symbol is yet to be taken.
UT administration denies "plough" symbol of National Conference
As no state party has been recognized in the Union Territory of Ladakh since its formation after the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory administration said that no unrecognized state political party (including National Conference) can stake claim on any symbol. The symbols for contesting elections are allotted to unrecognized political parties by the administration.
After granting Union Territory status to Ladakh, the first elections were going to the held in this party so the administration refused to consider any political party as a recognized state party.
Only three national parties namely BJP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi (AAP) have allotted their symbols.
NC already approached the Supreme Court for "plough" symbol
The National Conference has already approached the Supreme Court to get the "plough" symbol as the UT administration has filed an appeal against the decision of the High Court.
On August 18, the High Court of J&K and Ladakh has dismissed the Ladakh administration's plea against a single bench order of allowing National Conference candidates to contest the upcoming LAHDC polls, Kargil, on the party symbol.
The Union Territory of Ladakh had approached a division bench of the court against the single bench order of August 9 which directed the National Conference to approach the office of the Election Department of the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh to notify the reserved symbol (Plough) already allotted to for the polls.
LAHDC elections on September 10
According to a notification issued by the Election Department of Ladakh on August 5, the election to 26 seats of the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, is scheduled for September 10 and the counting of votes will take place four days later.
The National Conference had submitted that being the recognized state political party under section 29 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 read with the election symbols (Reservation and allotment) order 1968, it is entitled to contest the upcoming general election of LAHDC, Kargil on allotted election symbol.
The counsel for the party had submitted that the National Conference was recognized as a state political party in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, which included the Union Territory of Ladakh.
