Expelled NC leader Mohd Jaffer Akhoon joins BJP before Ladakh polls

Expelled National Conference leader Mohd Jaffer Akhoon joined the BJP ahead of the November 21 panchayat and municipal elections in Ladakh, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

In another political realignment before the local body polls, former Sheep and Animal Husbandry director Raza Abbasi and social activist Fida Hussain joined the Congress.

Akhoon, a former chairman and chief executive councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, joined the BJP at a ceremony in Kargil on Saturday.

He was expelled from the National Conference for six years on July 18 after refusing to honour a rotational power-sharing agreement reached with the Congress before the 2023 elections. Under the agreement, power was to rotate after two-and-a-half years.

The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, was dissolved by the lieutenant governor's administration on October 21 after the resignations of key members, including Akhoon, three executive councillors and six councillors, PTI reported.

The development also followed the creation of new districts, including Drass, Zanskar and Sankoo, which changed the territorial boundaries of the former Kargil district.

Akhoon said his close association with the BJP over the past three years had helped him understand the party beyond the negative perceptions among people. Referring to his interactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and senior BJP leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, he said he was particularly impressed by their approach and commitment.

He highlighted the party's support during the campaign for district recognition and improved healthcare facilities, invoked the slogan "Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai", and thanked the BJP's Ladakh unit and its leadership.

At a separate event, Abbasi, the son of former Zanskar MLA Haji Abbas, and Hussain joined the Congress in the presence of Ladakh Territorial Congress working president Asgar Ali Karbalai and other senior leaders.

Their entry into the Congress was a significant development in Kargil's local politics ahead of the municipal committee elections, a Congress leader told PTI.

The political changes involving Akhoon, Abbasi and Hussain come as parties step up efforts to strengthen their organisations, mobilise public support and consolidate their positions before the November 21 elections.- Ends