Dr. Mohammad Jaffar Akhoon, brother of veteran National Conference leader from Kargil Qamar Ali Akhoon, was on Tuesday unanimously elected as Chairman-cum-Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil.
Akhoon will replace Feroz Ahmad Khan who served in this post for five years as councillor of the National Conference after his election in 2018.
Although outgoing Chairman-cum-CEC Feroz Ahmad Khan has comfortably won elections as councillor from Simloo constituency the party preferred Dr. Mohammad Jaffar Akhoon in his place. Akhoon has won the election from the Thasgam Thunia seat. Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon is a retired Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Kargil.
Sources said that the decision of the National Conference leadership to replace Feroz Ahmad Khan has surprised local leaders because Khan has successfully completed his five-year tenure.
In the outgoing Council, Feroz Khan remained Chairman-cum-CEC of the LAHDC Kargil for full term of five years initially with the support of Congress followed by the backing of the Independents. Khan has been re-elected from the Silmoo constituency with an impressive margin and was again a strong contender for the post of Chairman but his name was dropped.
National Conference emerged as the single largest party
The ruling National Conference has emerged as the single largest party in the Kargil Council elections held the first week of this month. NC had won 12 seats followed by Congress 10, BJP, and Independents two each. Elections were held for 26 seats.
In the Council of 30 members, four Councillors are to be nominated by the Union Territory Administration of Ladakh. The nominated Councillors have voting rights. This will take the BJP tally to six.
Newly elected councillors take oaths
Meanwhile, according to an official handout by the authorities, the recently elected Councillors of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, were sworn in today at the Syed Mehdi Auditorium Hall in Kargil.
Principle, District, and Session Judge Kargil, Iqbal Ahmed Masoodi who is prescribed authority administered oath to 26 elected Councillors of respective constituencies including Abdul Samadh, Abdul Wahid, Mohd Jawad, Kacho Mohammad Feroz, Abdul Hadi, Aga Ai-nul-Huda, Stanzin Gigmet, Punchock Tashi, Stanzin Lakpa, Altaf Hussain, Haji Mohammad Abbas, Khadim Hussain, Mohd Amin, Manzoor Hussain, Feroz Ahmed Khan, Nasir Hussain Munshi, Syed Mujataba Mossavi, Syed Ali, Mohammad Sajjad Khan, Ghulam Haider, Ashiq Ali, Dr. Mohammad Jaffar Akhone, Zakir Hussain, Liyaqat Ali Khan and Padma Dorje.
On the occasion of oath taking ceremony, Deputy Commissioner/CEO, LAHDC, Election Authority Kargil, Shrikant Suse, Special Judicial Mobile Magistrate Kargil, Shafiq Mushtaq Lone, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Wani, SSP Kargil Stanzin Noorbu besides former Cabinet Ministers, former Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), representatives of various religious organizations, members of various political parties, along with district officers were present during the oath taking ceremony.
