Having earlier this year lost the prestigious Shey-Thiksey seat of Leh’s Autonomous Hill Development Council in the byelection, the BJP is now trying to capture the Shia-dominated Kargil’s Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) by aligning with the sitting Independent MLA of Zanskar, Bakir Rizvi.

The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to show its presence in the cold desert of Kargil that is dominated by Shia Muslims. Moreover, the election is being seen as a mini-show of strength in the state.

Polling for the 26-member Kargil LAHDC will be held on 27 August and all parties, including the BJP, Congress (INC), National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some independents are vociferously campaigning for the election that is for the first time being held under the Governor’s rule leaving no room for manipulation.

It is learnt that the BJP has left 6 seats for Rizvi’s candidates and has fielded its own activists on the remaining 20 seats. Officially, BJP has fielded 14 candidates and is supporting Independents on the remaining 6 seats. Four other seats will be filled through nomination by the state government.

The Congress, NC and PDP are testing the waters without any pre-poll alliance for the LAHDC that is seeing the fourth election after having come into existence in 2003.

Stung by its defeat at the hands of the Congress in Shey-Thiksey seat of Leh’s LAHDC for which by-election was held following the death of Sonam Dawa, who was the chief executive councilor, the BJP is playing its cards cautiously in Kargil and the party’s top leaders of the state were camping there.

The NC and Congress had shared 8 seats each in the last elections and governed the Kargil LAHDC, however, later the PDP captured the council with support of the Congress.

As many as 99 candidates are in the fray after 125 persons withdrew their nominations. Out of 99 candidates, 23 are of INC, 20 of JKNC, 14 of BJP, 21of PDP and 21 are Independents. 83,844 electors would exercise their franchise for which 258 polling stations have been set up across the Kargil district.

Polling staff will be flown in helicopters to the four inaccessible polling stations including Ralakung, Phema, Shun Chumik Gylsa and Shday. Polling teams were dispatched to the farflung polling stations at Cha, Karsha and Padum on Thursday.