Congress Credits Ladakh Poll Victory To Rahul's ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. Omar Says 'Wake Up Call For BJP'

The NC and Congress have won a total of 22 seats, out of the 26 seats. 

The Congress claimed numerous seats in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, as a direct result of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, news agency PTI reported. Taking a dig at media, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated: "The national media will blank it out, but trends coming in show Congress leading convincingly in the elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil with an almost complete wipeout of the BJP."

"This is a direct impact of Rahul Gandhi continuing Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ladakh last month," Ramesh posted on X. 

Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday stated that the BJP was handed a crushing loss in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil polls, which should serve as a wake-up call for the saffron party. Abdullah claimed that the Kargil election result conveyed a message against the division of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir without considering the people of the region.

“The BJP was dealt a resounding defeat at the hands of the NC-Congress alliance in Kargil today. In celebration of our strong alliance with the Congress party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference is delighted to announce its victory in the LAHDC-Kargil elections,” Abdullah was quoted by PTI in its report. 

“This result sends a message to all forces and parties that have, undemocratically and unconstitutionally, divided the state of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh without the consent of its people,” he added.

According to Abdullah, the election results should act as a wake-up call for the BJP. 

After winning 5th Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Election from GM Pore constituency, Independent Candidate Syed Ali stated: "I think the people chose me because they have faith in me... I will make sure that everything that is mentioned in the manifesto is fulfilled."

According to officials cited by news agency PTI, the National Conference (NC) won 12 seats, becoming the single largest party, while its ally Congress registered victory in 10. The BJP won two seats, while two independent candidates also registered victory, they said. 

The Jammu and Kashmir administration appoints four voting members to the 30-member LAHDC-Kargil. The existing council headed by the NC's Feroz Ahmad Khan completed its five-year term on October 1.