SRINAGAR: The National Conference has joined hands with its ally Congress to move a no confidence motion against its own Kargil Hill Council Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) over his refusal to step down and hand over power of the council to the grand old party after completing two and a half year of his term as per the agreement between the parties.
According to Ladakh MP and NC district president Kargil Haji Haneefa Jan, “Since Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil CEC Mohammad Jaffar Akhoon has not resigned and handed over power to Congress after completing his term, we have moved a no confidence motion against him.”
In Kargil Hill Council polls held in October 2023, NC emerged as a single largest party with 12 seats while Congress secured 10 seats and BJP and independents won two seats each in the 26-member council. Four councilors were nominated to the council by Ladakh LG, taking the total strength of council to 30. The two independent councilors had later joined Congress.
Since NC and Congress had contested Hill council polls in an alliance, both parties reached an agreement on rotation in power after two and a half years.
Senior Congress leader and former MLA Asgar Karbalai said as per the agreement, NC got the first term with CEC and two executive councilors while Congress got two executive councilors.
“The NC’s tenure ended on April 18 and power should have been transferred to Congress. However, CEC has refused to resign,” he said.
According to Karbalai, both parties had urged him to resign, but after he refused, the Congress and NC decided to move a no-confidence motion against him.
“11 councillors from Congress and 5 from NC have signed the no confidence motion and it will be handed over to DC for holding of no confidence motion,” he added.
Karbalai, however, asserted that the coalition between NC and Congress is intact and “we will strengthen this alliance not only for the 2028 Kargil Hill Council polls but for the 2029 parliamentary election as well”.
The Ladakh MP and NC leader said they are trying to convince CEC Akhoon to resign on his own.
Speaking top TNIE, Kargil Hill Council CEC Mohammad Jaffar Akhoon said that he won’t step down as things have changed a lot since 2023 when the elections to the council were held.
"In his tenure five more districts have been added in Ladakh including two in Kargil. If he resigns the Kargil hill council will be abolished and the developmental works in the district will come to an end. I don’t want this to happen and am not resigning for this reason,” Akhoon said expressing his confidence that he would defeat the no confidence motion.