In the first-ever Block Development Council (BDC) elections in Leh district, 8 Independents, 8 BJP candidates have won;  while in Kargil District, 11 Independents, 4 BJP candidates have won the BDC elections on October 24. The BDC election was clearly a contest between BJP and independents.

Leh district has 16 blocks, 652 Panches and 92 Sarpanches. Five blocks are reserved for women which include Chushot, Khaltse, Nimmo, Rupsho and Singeylalok. Leh has 16 blocks, out of which 15 blocks go for contest, as one candidate Stanzin Yangdol from Singey Lalok area has already been elected uncontested. She was the lone candidate of the Singaylalok block which consisted of Photoksar, Lingshed, Dipling and Wanla village.

In Leh, a total of 36 candidates, including 10 female and 26 male candidates, were in the fray for the 15 BDC seats. The total voters in Leh district were 704 in 15 blocks out of which 685 voters (468 male and 236 female) cast their votes.

In Kargil, a total of 38 candidates, including 14 female and 24 male candidates, were in the fray for election for the 15 BDC seats in the district for which 827 electors (565 males and 262 females) cast their votes. The poll percentage for the Leh district was 97.30 per cent, and 98.34 per cent for Kargil district.

However, in a press conference on October 25, Dorjay Angchuk, President, BJP, Leh, informed that Konchok Phuntsog from Durbuk block and Jigmet Yontan from Rong block have joined the BJP.

The Congress, the National Conference and the PDP stayed away from the elections, the first to be held after the withdrawal of Article 370 that granted special status to the State. In J&K Block Development Council polls 217 Independents, 81 BJP members elected with 98.3 per cent voter turnout.