NC Expels Ladakh Leader for Defying Party Order on Council Post Rotation
The National Conference (NC) on Saturday expelled Dr. Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon, a senior party leader from Ladakh, for six years after he refused to step down as Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil (LAHDC-K). The decision comes days after Akhoon declined to vacate the post as part of a pre-poll power-sharing agreement with the Congress party.
An NC spokesman said party general secretary Haji Ali Mohammad Sagar removed Akhoon from basic membership for six years, citing anti-party activities and indiscipline. The action follows repeated demands from the Congress, which contested the 2023 hill council elections as a coalition partner of the NC, to implement a rotational arrangement for the CEC post.
In the 2023 elections, the NC won 12 seats, the Congress 10, the BJP two, and Independents two, with four seats nominated in the 30-member council. Under the pre-poll deal, the CEC post was to be shared on a rotational basis, with each party holding the position for two and a half years. Akhoon (NC) took office first but refused to step down after the first half of the term, prompting Congress to threaten a no-confidence motion.
Ladakh Member of Parliament Hanifa Jan has met Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena to request a floor test as per rules, but no date has been set. Akhoon has not publicly commented on his expulsion. The NC's decision underscores ongoing tensions within the coalition over the implementation of the power-sharing agreement.
