Eight hill councils instead of two: Ladakh gets a new election map, and a question about its timing

Leh: Ladakh is set to hold elections to eight hill councils for eight districts after President Droupadi Murmu promulgated the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) (Amendment) Regulation, 2026, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said on Tuesday.
Terming it a 'historic regulation', Saxena said it was implemented in a record time of just six days and now paves the way for the creation of LAHDC in all eight districts of Ladakh, including the newly created Sankoo district. The Union Cabinet approved the amendments on October 14, followed by their promulgation by the President on October 16.
The amended regulation rationalises the number of constituencies from the earlier 26 seats in each council to a minimum of seven and a maximum of 24. It also provides for the nomination of four members from 'women' and 'unrepresented communities' for greater participation in local governance, he said.
Meanwhile, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), one of the key civil society bodies holding dialogue with the Centre over demands for statehood and the Sixth Schedule, questioned the timing. KDA member Sajjad Kargilli said it was 'deeply problematic' that the government had chosen to make substantial changes to the composition, powers and functioning of the councils without consulting the people of Ladakh. At present, only LAHDC-Kargil remains in place.
The move follows a draft plan prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs for a new elected body in Ladakh, under which every law from the body would need the Lieutenant Governor's approval, and up to 50% of seats could be reserved for women. The government has said it wants feedback from local bodies before finalising the proposals.