Congress announces candidate for Ladakh seat for Lok Sabha elections

Congress on Thursday announced Tsering Namgyal as its candidate for the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency for the 2024 elections, underscoring its’s intent to compete strongly in the Union Territory.
In an official statement, it said, “The Central Election Committee has approved the canidature of Shri Tsering Namgyal as Congress candidate to contest the ensuing general elections to the Lok Sabha from 1- Ladakh Parliamentary constituency.”
Earlier on April 23, the BJP announced the candidature of Tashi Gyalson from Ladakh Constituency replacing its current MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal from this seat.
Tashi Gyalson is a councillor from the Lingshed constituency and in 2020 was elected as chairman and chief executive councillor of the 6th Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, (LAHDC), Leh.
In the 2019 elections, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the BJP party emerged victorious in Ladakh, securing a notable mandate with 42,914 votes and 33.9 per cent of votes. Sajjad Hussain Independent candidate garnered 31,984 votes.
The Centre abrogated Article 370 which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the region into two territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on August 5, 2019.
The people of Ladakh are demanding statehood, inclusion under the 6th schedule of the Indian Constitution, and other rights.
The key demands include- statehood and inclusion under the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which grants special rights to tribal communities, and stronger ecological protections for Ladakh.
Ladakh will go to polls on May 20