Election Suspense, cover story 12 August 2024

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Election Suspense
News Kashmir Analysis
Elections are soul of Democracy. After a long wait of ten year and nearly after 5 year of the historic abrogation of article 370 Jammu and Kashmir looks all set to conduct Assembly polls very soon. People too have been urging elections since long . But the suspense still remains .
The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are long overdue and the Supreme Court has set a deadline of September 30 to conduct polls in the Union Territory.
The team, headed by Chief Election Commission Rajiv Kumar, was recently  on a two-day visit and has started meeting with the representatives of political parties to get their feedback before meeting senior police officials of all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
On his part, Union Minister G. Krishna Reddy, the Election Incharge for J&K Assembly elections, announced on Monday that elections in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir are set to take place next month, in September.
Speaking at the ‘Ekatma Mahotsav’ rally organized by the BJP at Bana Singh Stadium in RS Pura, Reddy expressed confidence that the BJP will secure a majority in the upcoming elections.
Also, The Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir led by a group of concerned citizens has called for an immediate announcement of dates of Legislative Assembly elections in J&K much before the Supreme Court’s deadline of September 30, arguing that “that security should not be a consideration given that elections have been held in far worse security situations”.
Addressing a news conference in Jammu, the CEC said that the dates for the elections would be announced after holding a comprehensive security review in Delhi.
He said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was committed to holding Assembly elections as soon as possible.
” This is the appropriate time for holding Assembly elections in J&K and no force can prevent us from holding elections here. We are committed to this process,” he said.
The hope on ground zero among the common masses is that exact dates for the historic Assembly elections are declared soon as they eagerly want to take part in this great democratic exercise, and elect their representatives to the Assembly so that their issues are resolved at a faster pace .

5 Years of Article 370 Abrogation:J&K Journey Towards Prosperity

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5 Years of Article 370 Abrogation: J&K Journey towards Prosperity

News Kashmir Analysis
On August 5, 2019, the government of India abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution with a presidential order, and parliamentary resolution overturning a dark  status quo that had lasted for nearly 70 years. The erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir had been granted a special status under which it had its own constitution and autonomy in its internal affairs.
These five years have ensured much peace and prosperity.
PM Narendra Modi, speaking in Kargil, recently  highlighted the upcoming fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5. He emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir is now talking about a new future and big dreams, with its global recognition bolstered by hosting important events like the G20 summit. Alongside infrastructure development, the tourism sector in Jammu, Kashmir, Leh, and Ladakh is rapidly growing. After decades, cinemas have reopened in Kashmir, and for the first time in three and a half decades, the Tazia procession was held in Srinagar.
On February 7, 2024 ,
The Central government  informed the Rajya Sabha that an investment of over Rs 5600 crore has been made in various sectors of Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Responding to allegations that the Union government taking over responsibility of Jammu and Kashmir Police is a “trojan horse,” the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “If at all, there was a trojan horse in regards to J&K, it was Article 335A and Article 370.”
“We are taking the burden of J&K Police money so that J&K administration will have more money for development. But the oppositon is trying to create doubt about India’s governance and federal structure,” she added.
The Rajasthan government has included the celebration of the abrogation of the Constitution’s Article 370, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status, as “Swarnamukut Diwas”, the birthdays of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and 16th century Mewar ruler Maharana Pratap in the annual school calendar.
Expert pulse is  abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A gave dignified lives to the refugees from West Pakistan, daughters of the soil, Valmiki Samaj, PoJK displaced people and more rights to women  among others.
The tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir has seen significant growth since the abrogation of Article 370, with a total of 1.08 crore tourists visiting in the last six months this year, as per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). According to a report provided to the MHA by the Jammu and Kashmir government, the sector has maintained an annual average growth rate of 15.13 percent over the past three years.
Undoubtedly, on 5th Anniversary of article 370 abrogation we are seeing much optimism.

Synthetic Drugs Monster, cover story 22 July,2024.

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Synthetic Drugs Monster
News Kashmir Analysis
Synthetic drugs are a growing challenge to humanity at large as they  refer to substances that are artificially modified from naturally-occurring drugs and are capable of exhibiting both therapeutic and psychoactive effects.
In the medical setting, synthetic drugs possess psychotropic effects which can cure insomnia. Since there are limited clinical trials and human studies, the pharmacology and drug effects of most of the synthetic drugs are not well-known. Misuse of synthetic drugs can be fatal so take advice from the professionals before use.
In a major development recently, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah Thursday said that the problem of synthetic drugs was now coming to the fore in India and recently many illegal laboratories had been caught.
In this regard, Chairing the 7th Apex Level Meeting of Narco-Coordination Center (NCORD) in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, he said that all the state investigation and other agencies should take detailed information about this from the NCB and work to stop such activities in their respective states.
Also, Home Minister also launched the National Narcotics Helpline ‘MANAS’ (Madak Padarth Nishedh Asuchna Kendra) and virtually inaugurated the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Office at Srinagar.
Expert pulse is Synthetic drugs are not quality controlled or regulated, so there are concerns over what is actually in them.
Given how often synthetic drugs emerge, it is hard to know how harmful these drugs are in any dose. There is limited research on the short- and long-term effects of these substances.
Reports from the National Institute on Drug Abuse show that more than 20 million people in the U.S. have used these substances at least once, and this number is increasing every year.
These substances are often cheaper and easier to find than traditional drugs. Still, they come with much higher risks of addiction and overdose- including side effects, withdrawal symptoms, and ways to overcome addiction.
We need to bear in mind
active ingredients in these drugs are synthetic chemicals that are very dangerous—to the brain and other parts of the body. Because synthetic drugs are not regulated, they are not tested for safety so users don’t know what they are putting into their bodies.
Some months back. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken  called for greater international cooperation to fight the booming trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, the leading cause of overdose deaths in his country.
He was speaking at an annual meeting of the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which reviews global drug regulation and each year adds new so-called precursor chemicals – ingredients used to make illicit drugs – to international lists known as schedules to place strict controls on their trade.
We in Jammu and Kashmir too should stay awake about the menace and challenges to be posed by the Synthetic Drugs .

Curbing Power Theft, Cover Story 8 July 2024

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Curbing Power Theft
News Kashmir Analysis
Power theft had been a major cause of concern in Jammu and Kashmir.  It has been robbing much of the revenue of the region and keeping the power department in huge losses.
The non payment of electricity bills was another major concern which is being solved.
But , since few years concrete steps are being taken to curb power theft which is bearing the fruits.
The figures and statistics are now atleast promising.
KPDCL has added  13,179 connections in 3 months, carries out 55K inspections to curb losses
11,450 consumers also disconnected for non-payment of dues
No tariff hike, only calibrated rationalisation of load as per consumption as per the department.
In this regard, recently it was stated that the  Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has added 13,719 fresh connections to its domestic consumer base of 9.81 lakh, adding load of 7.5 MW in the system.
To curb power theft and bring down losses, as many as 55,321 inspection drives were carried out by Kashmir DISCOM from April to June this year.
In a statement issued here t a KPDCL spokesperson stated that vigorous enforcement drives are being undertaken on a daily basis at Subdivisional level to crackdown on incidents of power pilferage, primarily by hooking and bypassing of meters in urban areas and exceeding of sanctioned load in rural areas. “Strict directions have been given to SDOs to recover dues for energy unauthorizedly consumed, raise Writ of Demand and present their cases for imposition of penalty before the Designated Courts,” he explained, adding those found using electricity unauthorizedly shall be dealt with an iron hand.
Giving details, the spokesman said 1949 new connections were added in Kulgam, 1630 in Budgam, 1269 in Sopore, 982 in Anantnag, 935 in Tangmarg, 843 in Ganderbal, 812 in Shopian, 747 in Awantipora and 611 in Bijbehara Electric Division.
Apart from above, KDPCL has also intensified action against tampering of smart meters with several FIRs registered in concerned Police Stations. “Nearly 600 applications have been filed for registration of FIRs for smart meter tampering and other thefts like hooking,” he added.
Expressing concern over unauthorised use of electricity by consumers, the KPDCL spokesman said that even in peak summer months, reports of damage to distribution transformers are being received from some parts of Kashmir Valley. “KPDCL advises its consumers to avoid using crude heating gadgets like heaters and boilers, which have been banned by the Government,” he added.
The spokesman further stated that KPDCL has disconnected 11,450 consumers for non-payment of pending dues during the first quarter of the current financial year. This includes 8,655 domestic, 2,697 commercial, 94 hoteliers and 34 industrial units. “Outstanding arrears amounting to Rs.43.26 crore have also been recovered from the consumers,” he added.
Urging the consumers to ignore rumours on tariff hike, the spokesperson once again reiterated that KPDCL has not hiked electricity tariff in both metered and non-metered areas. He, however, stated that calibrated rationalization of load as per actual consumption in unmetered areas is being carried out by all Electric Subdivisions, following Supply Code regulations. “Consumers can opt for metered billing, if they find flat-rated charges disproportionate to their consumption,” the spokesman advised.
The people on ground also hope that burning issue of often curtailment in power would be resolved as it is hitting hard people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Water Scarcity, cover 8 July 2024 issue.

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Water Scarcity

News Kashmir Analysis
Water is life , it is just not an adage but a reality of our world.
Water is an essential source for the existence of life on the planet earth. It is widely used for various purposes such as drinking, washing, bathing, cleaning, cooking, irrigation, and other industrial and domestic uses.
Water is vital to our health. It plays a key role in many of our body’s functions, including bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature. Water should almost always be your go-to beverage.
Despite being water rich  the valley of Kashmir different areas are witnessing water shortage.
The residents of several villages in “Kandi B” area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district few days back  protested against Jal Shakti Department for failing to provide them drinking water for the last several years.
“Kandi B”  comprises of eleven villages .
There are also reports of water shortage from Central, South and North Kashmir.
In South Kashmir district of Pulwama the villagers of Koil are facing a significant irrigation crisis as prolonged dry spell of this summer continues to impact the region.
Few time back , Residents of Mominabad area of Batamaloo have expressed concern over the drinking water shortage in the locality.
Be it uptown or downtown the water shortage is felt in many areas.
Few weeks back, Residents of Syed Hamidpora Nawab Bazar area of Downtown had complained of an acute shortage of drinking water supply for long time.
The expert opinion is that While the drinking water shortage occurs throughout the year at some places but it gets serious  and extended to more areas in summer. It has been observed that generally in  summer the people need more water for drinking purpose.
Melting glaciers in Kashmir is another serious cause of concern that will have adverse impact including on our water supply as melting  glaciers will also have long-term implications, like groundwater recharge and overall glacier recharge, thus agriculture too will take a bad hit.
The less rainfall has also been a consistent worry.
Experts have also opined  that El Nino and the absence of a strong western disturbance may be to blame for Kashmir’s prolonged dry weather.
The need of the hour is that masses of Kashmir also take steps like not encroaching and polluting water bodies so that the situation doesn’t get more worse for us. People of Kashmir also have to incalculate water Saving  habits in them.

Paper Leaks, Cover story 1 July ,2024

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Paper leaks
News Kashmir Analysis
Paper leaks in the number of competitive exams across the country is causing much uproar, as it is harming the future of millions of students in the country.
President Droupadi Murmu also in her presidential address to the Parliament observed crucial thoughts on the issue.
government, she said, is fully committed to investigating the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished. As she made the remarks, cries of “NEET” were heard from the Opposition benches.
“Sanctity, transparency are a must in government recruitments and examinations. The government is committed to conduct fair investigation and ensure the most stringent punishment to those guilty in the recent incidents of paper leak,” she said, adding that there is a need to rise above “partisan politics” and take strong  steps on the issue.
As a matter of fact, with the nation and political opponents clamouring over the NEET-UG paper leak case. The NET-UG and NET-PG examinations have also been postponed, giving the opposition ammo to double down on issues of youth employment – a talking point ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections.
The president said Parliament has also made a strong law against paper leaks and is working towards major reforms in the exam process and the functioning of exam-related bodies.
“It is the continuous endeavour of the Government to provide right opportunities to the youth of the country to demonstrate their talent. Parliament has also enacted a strict law against unfair means in examinations.
In year 2023, Among the major paper leaks this year was the Hindi question paper of the Telangana Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination getting out. WhatsApp was the primary medium for spreading the question paper once it got out, in this case.
In Telangana again a paper leak was discovered during the Assistant Engineer recruitment exam, which eventually led to its cancellation on March 5 that year, and candidates who appeared for the test were left in a lurch about their futures.
Assam saw papers of two subjects leaked during the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) exams. When the papers for General Science and English got out, the Secondary Education Board of Assam (SEBA) was forced to cancel the tests.
In year 2022, Uttar Pradesh, there was a leak during the Lekhpal recruitment exams, based on which the state would get its village accountant officers within the revenue administration. The police formed a special task force, arresting at least 21 across seven districts.
It is worth mentioning here that Not just NEET, but at least 64 other major examinations across 19 Indian states have been marred by incidents of question paper leaks since 2019, according to data analysed by India Today’s Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team.
One hopes that menace of paper leaks is curbed so that students are ensured bright future.

Suicides a grim reality of J&K, cover story 17 June,2024

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Suicides a grim reality of J&K
News Kashmir Analysis
Suicides once thought very alien thing in  the valley of Kashmir,  since some years are now  happening on regular instances. In recent times we have heard about lot of suicides happening in our region.
According to prominent Knowledge source Wikipedia, suicide  is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and substance abuse (including alcoholism and the use of and withdrawal from benzodiazepines) are risk factors. Some suicides are impulsive acts due to stress (such as from financial or academic difficulties), relationship problems (such as breakups or divorces), or harassment and bullying.Those who have previously attempted suicide are at a higher risk for future attempts. Effective suicide prevention efforts include limiting access to methods of suicide such as firearms, drugs, and poisons; treating mental disorders and substance abuse; careful media reporting about suicide; and improving economic conditions.
Recently, a teenage
herself to death in her home at Harwan area of Srinagar late on Thursday, 13 June evening, officials said.
An 18 year old boy hailing from Dassal village of Rajouri allegedly committed suicide by hanging with the ceiling of his house.
The deceased was identified as the  resident of Dassal.
Numbers and figures are grim.
Jammu and Kashmir topped the country in attempted suicides in 2022, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed.  Against 1769 instances recorded by the Bureau during the year across India, 497 were reported from Jammu and Kashmir alone.
It is heartbreaking The entire country, in the meanwhile, is witnessing an increase in the number of cases in which the abetment to suicide is taking place. Against 8816  cases in 2020 and 9361 such cases in 2021, the number in 2022 reached 9400. In the Jammu and Kashmir context, there were only 44 cases of abetment to suicide involving 56 persons.
We are very well aware that,
Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. A suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves with any intent to end their life, but they do not die as a result of their actions. Many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it.
Kashmir valley was once known for its pious value system ,termed as the abode of Sufi saints.
The phenomenon of suicides was once very uncommon in Kashmir but the graph of suicides has now run north too in recent times. Actually, we need to understand the reasons behind rising suicides in holistic terms to solve this menace.

NDA Again, but Strong Opposition- Verdict 2024

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NDA Again, but strong opposition – Verdict 2024
News Kashmir Analysis
The results of the historic 2024 Lok Sabha  elections were announced on 4 June, 2024.  The results surprised one and all, proved all major  exit polls wrong .
The BJP, which enjoyed a handsome majority in the previous two terms, secured only 240 seats, way behind the 272 mark needed to form a government in its own right. The NDA won 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
As a matter of fact, The four allies whose support is critical for the BJP to reach the majority are N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, which has won 16 seats, Nitish Kumar’s JDU (12), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena (7) and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (5).
The motley assortment of regional parties are seeking to leverage their new influence to extract minister positions.
Political experts opine that
coalition negotiations are a throwback to an era before 2014 – when PM Modi swept to power with an outright BJP majority – in which alliance partners haggled for positions and benefits.
Narendra Modi, preparing to take oath for a third straight term, chaired a meeting of the ruling alliance’s members on Wednesday, 5 June 2024, where he was unanimously elected as the NDA leader.
On 6 June, Thursday, senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, held deliberations to set in motion the government formation efforts. The meeting was attended by newly elected MPs of the BJP and NDA constituent parties, Rajya Sabha MPs, Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of states ruled by the BJP and NDA, floor leaders of legislative assemblies and councils, and national office bearers of the BJP.
In Jammu and Kashmir too results were surprising as two former Chief Ministers lost, as National Conference won two seats out of three from Kashmir.  The surprise came from North Kashmir wherein Omar Abdullah was defeated by Engineer Rashid .
From Jammu BJP lead a clean sweep as it won both seats.  The country will but this time around have a strong opposition.
The opposition  INDIA bloc has 234 Lok Sabha seats, 38 short of the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member House.
After the India Bloc  meeting, Kharge said the INDIA bloc would continue to “fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by PM Modi”. “We will take the appropriate steps at the appropriate time to realise the people’s desire not to be ruled by the BJP’s government.”
“This is our decision and we altogether agreed on these points and we will keep up with the promises we have given to the people,” the Congress President added.
The coming times and years in National polity offer a unique perspective.
On Friday 7 June ,2024, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s allies on Friday endorsed Narendra Modi as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Parliamentary Party, setting the stage for his third term as the Prime Minister, even as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Chandrababu Naidu underlined the need for regional aspirations and national interests to go hand in hand to ensure holistic development of all sections.
While on Sunday 9 June 2024 historic oath of PM Modi and cabinet took place.

Janadesh 2024

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Janadesh 2024
News Kashmir Analysis
The biggest festival of Democracy in World The Indian National Elections 2024 have come to an end . Now, all eyes are Fixed on June 4, 2024 for the much anticipated verdict.
As a matter of fact, the high-decibel campaigns for the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections draw to a closed on Thursday, 30 May and all eyes are on verdict day on June 4, when the fate of the incumbent NDA government and the opposition INDIA alliance will be decided. The last phase of polling  held on June 1 saw polling for  57 seats across eight states and Union Territories.
The prediction market is in full swing.
As a matter of fact, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had been making predictions recently about INDIA bloc going to form a government at the Centre. Amit Shah’s candid predictions may cause worries for these leaders.
Home Minister and BJP’s master election strategist Amit Shah, in an exclusive interview to India TV, has predicted a thumping majority for his party in Lok Sabha elections. He has also predicted that BJP would form government in Odisha and a coalition government with Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh this time. Shah predicted a clean sweep for BJP in 16 states and Union Territories. Shah Predicted BJP winning 70 seats out of 80 in Uttar Pradesh.
The concluding day saw high power  campaigning with top leaders of the BJP-led NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc making last-ditch efforts to woo voters. While Prime Minister Modi held rallies in Punjab before heading to Kanyakumari for a three-day meditation trip, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies in Punjab, where 13 seats are up for grabs.
Prominent Political Analyst
Yogendra Yadav shared his predictions for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections last week, suggesting that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) may face challenges in achieving a decisive victory.
Yadav predicts that the BJP alone will not exceed 260 seats and will find it “impossible” to surpass the 300-mark. He even suggested that the saffron party might fall below 275 or even 250 seats.
On the other hand, Political strategist Prashant Kishor has stated that the incumbent BJP government at the Centre faces neither significant dissatisfaction nor a strong demand for an alternative in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Jan Suraaj Party chief predicts that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to lead the BJP to another victory, with the party potentially matching or surpassing its 2019 seat tally of 303.
“I think the Modi-led BJP is returning. They may get the same numbers as last election or do slightly better,” Kishor told NDTV.
All the eyes of Nation will be glued to Mobiles and Television sets to watch the results and there is lot of excitement.
What Happens on June 4, 2024 would have larger ramifications on the development and polity of the country .
It will be also interesting to see who wins the five parliamentary seats from Jammu and Kashmir.

Ladakh Parliamentary constituency Profile, 20 May, 2024

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Ladakh Parliamentary Constituency Profile
News Kashmir Analysis
Ladakh is the only Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituency of the union territory of Ladakh, India. It is the largest such constituency in India, in terms of area, with a total area of 173,266 square kilometres (66,898 sq mi). The number of electors (voters) in the constituency was 159,000 in 2019.
This time around, Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, which is lone Parliamentary constituency in the Union Territory of Ladakh, has 1,84,803 electorates in total and is among very few Lok Sabha constituencies which have less than two lakh voters. It will go to polls in fifth phase on May 20.
As per the official data, out of a total electorates of 1,84,803 in Ladakh seat; 92,689 are male and 92,114 are females. Leh district has 88877 voters and Kargil 95926.
On the last day for withdrawal of nomination, a total of two independent candidates have withdrawn their nomination papers including in favor of independent candidate Haji Hanifa Jan. The candidates that have withdrawn their nominations include Kacho Mohd Feroz and Sajjad Hussain Sajjad Hussain Kargili. Now a total of three candidates remain in fray to contest Lok Sabha election 2024 for Ladakh Parliamentary seat.
On the other hand, National Conference (NC) has faced a revolt in the Kargil district of Ladakh ahead of the Lok Sabha elections for the parliamentary constituency after the district unit Kargil submitted a mass resignation letter to the party High Command .
The setback for the NC in Kargil comes following disagreements over the choice of candidate for the Lok Sabha elections between the National Conference (NC) and Congress who are part of the INDIA bloc.
On the otherhand of the spectrum,
Sonam Wangchuk,  a celebrated environmentalist and innovator, recently decided to sit on a 21-day hunger strike to express the anguish of Ladakhis. This protest followed a series of talks between the Ladakhi leadership and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which hit a cul-de-sac on March 3, 2024.
The Ladakhi leaders approached the MHA with four demands: 1) Statehood for Ladakh 2) Inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution 3) Setting up of a separate public service commission for Ladakh 4) Two parliamentary seats for Ladakh.
Ladakh is also a world famous tourism spot ,and with unique and fragile ecosystems with issues of voters also ranging on preserving the same .
The contest is hoped to be triangular and very interesting this time around.