Ladakh Municipal Elections for Leh and Kargil Set for November 21st

Ladakh Chief Electoral Officer Rahul Sharma announced that municipal elections for Leh and Kargil will be held on November 21, 2026, marking an end to the administrative vacuum following the expiry of previous terms in 2023.

Ladakh Municipal Elections Scheduled for November

Leh (Ladakh) [India], October 23 (ANI): Ladakh Chief Electoral Officer Rahul Sharma on Friday announced that the Municipal elections for the twin districts of Leh and Kargil will be held on November 21, breaking an administrative vacuum that has persisted since the previous elected bodies' terms expired in 2023. Speaking exclusively to ANI on the poll schedule, Ladakh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rahul Sharma noted that necessary groundwork to update voter registries following the 2018 polls has been completed, paving the way for the democratic exercise. "The last general elections for the Municipal Committees of Leh and Kargil were held in 2018, and their term concluded in 2023. To address the vacuum that has existed since then, action has been initiated in accordance with government directives. Following the administrative procedures stipulated in the relevant Acts and Rules, we issued a notice regarding additions and deletions to the 2018 municipal electoral rolls, published a draft, and invited the public to file their claims. This entire process concluded on October 22, when the final electoral roll was published. It has now been decided that elections will be held,” Sharma told ANI.

Election Timeline and Procedures

Detailing the timeline for the upcoming polls, the CEO announced that official notifications will be issued next week, followed by a tight window for candidate nominations and polling in late November. “The last date for filing nominations will be November 5, 2026, and the elections will be held on November 21. In this regard, I urge the public to participate enthusiastically and exercise their democratic rights. The final electoral roll was published on October 22. If anyone believes that their name has been recorded incorrectly or omitted, they may file an appeal with the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)," Ladakh Chief Electoral Officer said.

Poll Schedule and Administrative Details

Meanwhile, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, UT Ladakh, announced that the upcoming general elections for the Municipal Committees of Leh and Kargil are scheduled, as the last elections were held in September 2018. Under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000, and its corresponding rules, the final electoral rolls for Leh (comprising 21 wards) and Kargil (comprising 17 wards) were published on October 22, 2026. According to the announced schedule, the election notification will be issued on October 29, 2026, with nominations closing on November 5, 2026, scrutiny on November 6, 2026, and the last date for withdrawal as well as symbol allotment taking place on November 9, 2026. The polls are scheduled for November 21, 2026, and the entire election process will be completed before November 30, 2026. Additionally, the Model Code of Conduct comes into force immediately and will remain active until the conclusion of the elections. (ANI)

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