Ladakh: Congress defeats BJP in LAHDC bypoll

While Congress' Tundup secured 861 votes, the BJP candidate could poll only 588 votes

In a major setback to the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), its arch-rival Congress won a bypolls in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) on Saturday.

Tashi Tundup, a Congress candidate defeated Dorjay Namgayal of BJP by 273 votes in the Temisgam constituency of LAHDC, Leh, officials said. While Tundup secured 861 votes, the BJP candidate could poll only 588 votes.

Out of a total of 1,430 votes, 705 were cast by male electorate while 725 by female voters, an official spokesperson said.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting Congress councilor Sonam Dorjey and polling for the seat was held on September 13. BJP was confident of its victory in Timisgam as party MP from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, and other senior leaders had vigorously campaigned for their candidate.

Elections for 26 seats of the LAHDC, Leh were held in October 2020 in which the BJP won 15 and the Congress nine seats. The other two seats were won by independent candidates. The LAHDC is an autonomous district council that administers the Leh district of Ladakh. It was founded in 1995.

Meanwhile, the Congress high command has congratulated its Leh unit for the victory and took a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Ghulam Nabi Azad, who recently quit the Congress.

"Here is some breaking news for Modi, Shah and Azad. The Congress party has defeated the BJP by a convincing margin in the Temisgam bye-election to the Ladakh Hill Council. Congratulations to the Ladakh District Congress Committee!," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted.