Independent Candidate Mohmad Haneefa Leads in Ladakh Lok Sabha Constituency

Independent candidate Mohmad Haneefa is currently leading in the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency surpassing his Congress and BJP rivals with more than 16,743 votes. This marks the first major electoral battle since Ladakh was granted Union territory status. Haneefa recently quit the National Conference to run as an Independent.

Independent candidate Mohmad Haneefa has emerged as the frontrunner in the Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency, according to Election Commission trends. Haneefa has garnered over 16,743 votes, far ahead of Congress' Tsering Namgyal with 5,813 votes and BJP's Tashi Gyalson with 5,194 votes.

This electoral race is significant as it is the first since Ladakh was declared a Union territory in 2019. Haneefa, who was previously a leader in the National Conference, decided to run as an Independent candidate after the Congress nominated Tsering Namgyal as the INDIA bloc representative.

This contest unfolds in a region where the BJP has historically held sway, winning the seat in both 2014 and 2019, while the Congress has the maximum wins, securing the seat six times. Haneefa stands out as the sole candidate from the Shia Muslim-majority Kargil area.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)