Srinagar: The Ladakh State Election Commission on Tuesday announced December 4 as the polling date for elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs), with the entire electoral process scheduled to be completed by December 8.
According to the election schedule, candidates can file their nominations until November 17. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on November 18, while November 20 has been fixed as the last date for withdrawal of candidature. Voting will be held between 8 am and 5 pm on December 4.
State Election Commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey issued the notification under Rule 12 of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (Election) Rules, 2026. The schedule covers all eight newly configured districts of the Union Territory: Leh, Kargil, Drass, Zanskar, Sankoo, Sham, Nubra and Changthang.
The announcement comes after Chief Electoral Officer Rahul Sharma issued notifications for municipal and panchayat elections in Ladakh. Polls to the municipal committees of Leh and Kargil, along with panchayat halqas across the Union Territory, are scheduled for November 21, with the process set to conclude by November 30.
However, the announcement of the council elections has triggered protests in parts of Ladakh, with political and civil society groups opposing the timing of the polls amid concerns over harsh winter conditions.
Kargil observed a complete shutdown on Tuesday in protest against holding the elections during the winter months. Shops, commercial establishments and private offices remained closed in Kargil town and several other areas, including Drass, Sankoo and Zanskar.
Public transport also remained off the roads, while additional police personnel were deployed as a precautionary measure.
The shutdown was called by the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), an umbrella organisation representing political, religious, trade and civil society groups. Essential services, including medical facilities, water supply and school buses, were exempted from the protest.
The KDA also announced an evening candlelight march under the banner of ‘Save Democracy’, opposing the election schedule, alleged irregularities in delimitation and what it described as the erosion of democratic rights.
Meanwhile, three prominent organisations—the Ladakh Nambardar Association, the Ladakh Gompa Association and the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA)—announced their decision to boycott both panchayat and municipal committee elections.
