Leh, Oct 2026 : Talks between the Union Home Ministry and representatives of Ladakh over constitutional safeguards and the formation of an elected body for the Union Territory ended without a consensus on Thursday, October 15. The two sides will meet again in New Delhi on October 22 to discuss the remaining differences.
The meeting in Leh was attended by representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). The Home Ministry presented a draft proposal, but local leaders expressed dissatisfaction with several provisions, particularly those concerning the legislative, financial and executive powers of the proposed elected body.
Ladakh's representatives said there remained a substantial gap between the Centre's proposal and their expectations. The extent of authority that would be granted to the elected institution emerged as a key point of disagreement.
According to Leh Apex Body chairman Tsering Dorjay Lakrook, the Home Ministry presented a draft document of approximately 15 to 20 pages, explaining its provisions during the meeting. Representatives from Ladakh also submitted their own proposal, with significant differences emerging between the two documents.
Kargil Democratic Alliance co-chairman Sajjad Hussain Kargili described the ministry's draft as unsatisfactory and unacceptable, underlining the continuing differences over the proposed administrative and constitutional framework.
The subcommittee meeting lasted more than an hour. During the discussions, Ladakh's representatives also submitted responses to seven questions previously raised by the Home Ministry at an earlier meeting in New Delhi on September 9.
Despite the lack of agreement, Lakrook said the dialogue would continue and cautioned against interpreting Thursday's meeting as the end of negotiations. The representatives are expected to examine the draft in detail before submitting their response by October 18.
Concerns over administrative accountability have also contributed to the disagreement. Lakrook alleged that some provisions in the ministry's latest proposal differed from understandings reached in principle during earlier discussions.
Among the issues raised was the proposed role of the head of the elected body in writing the annual performance report of the Chief Secretary. The representatives also sought greater clarity on the subjects and powers that would fall under the proposed constitutional safeguards.
No immediate official statement on the outcome of Thursday's meeting was issued.
The negotiations follow an earlier meeting on May 22, when the two sides had reportedly reached an in-principle understanding on restoring a democratic system, providing constitutional protections and establishing an empowered elected body for Ladakh.
However, the latest discussions indicate that substantial questions remain unresolved, particularly over the extent of autonomy and the institutional powers that the proposed arrangement would provide.
The October 22 meeting in New Delhi is expected to focus on these outstanding issues after the Ladakh representatives complete their examination of the draft and submit their feedback.
The outcome of the next round of talks will be important for determining whether the Centre and local groups can bridge their differences over Ladakh's political representation, administrative authority and constitutional protections.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
