Ladakh LG Notifies 100 Council Seats Ahead of Elections

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena notified 100 constituencies for eight Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils on October 21, 2026. This restructuring nearly doubles the previous 52 seats and follows the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2026, promulgated by President Droupadi Murmu. The new distribution allocates 22 seats to Leh, 21 to Kargil, 13 to the new Sankoo district, 10 to Changthang, and 9 each to Nubra, Sham, and Zanskar, with Drass receiving 7.

As part of the reorganization, the UT administration dissolved the LAHDC Kargil following the resignation of several councilors and changes to territorial boundaries. The council's powers are now temporarily vested in the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of Kargil. In a separate development, State Election Commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey scheduled Panchayat elections for November 21, 2026, marking the first such elections since Ladakh became a Union Territory.

These administrative changes occur during a period of political tension. The Ministry of Home Affairs reportedly postponed scheduled talks with the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, groups that have been agitating for statehood and constitutional safeguards.