Ladakh hill council polls: NC says SC refused to stay J&K HC’s order on grant of poll symbol

Srinagar, Aug 22 (PTI) The National Conference on Tuesday claimed the Supreme Court has refused to stay the Jammu and Kashmir High Court’s order on the grant of the ‘plough’ poll symbol for the party in the Ladakh Hill Council elections and asked the Union Territory administration to implement the court order and not make it an “ego issue”.

In a statement, the party said the Ladakh administration tried to get the high court order stayed but it was refused. “They then tried to get the contempt proceedings of the high court stayed. This was also refused by the Supreme Court,” it said.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has dismissed the Ladakh administration’s plea against a single bench order allowing National Conference candidates to contest the upcoming polls for Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, on party symbol.

The administration had approached a division bench of the high court against the single bench order of August 9 which directed the NC to approach the office of the Election Department of the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh for notifying the reserved symbol ‘plough’ already allotted to for the polls.

The National Conference said if the order to allot the party its symbol is not issued by Tuesday evening, “the contempt order of the High Court will prevail”.

“The CS (chief secretary) of Ladakh and chief election officer will have to appear in person in the high court tomorrow,” it added.

The party expressed hope that the Ladakh administration will follow the court’s directions and issue the order for the allotment of its poll symbol.

“We fail to see why the administration has made an ego issue out of this symbol allotment,” it said.

According to a notification issued by the election department on August 5, the polls for 26 seats of the 30-member LAHDC, Kargil, is scheduled for September 10 and the counting of votes will take place four days later.