Ladakh polls delayed to March-April due to winter
Elections for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh—originally expected in October 2024—are likely to be delayed until March or April 2025 due to winter.
The move follows deadly clashes in September and worries about holding polls during Ladakh's harsh winter.
The current council's term was set to end on November 2, 2024, but officials are now considering a six-month extension for safety and logistical reasons.
Current council stays in power longer
This delay means Ladakh's current council stays in power longer, even as calls for statehood and more local rights grow louder.
The LAHDC Act allows such extensions, but with new districts and a promised 33% reservation for women still pending, many feel left out of the process.
Political talks are stalled, and key groups want a judicial probe into recent violence—leaving Ladakh's future leadership and representation up in the air.