The State Election Commission (SEC) of Ladakh, on Wednesday, announced the schedule for the impending panchayat elections in the strategic Union territory, with polling scheduled for November 21 and the entire election process to be completed by November 30.

The state election commissioner, Sudhanshu Pandey, said that the election notifications will be issued by the administrator and the SEC on October 26.

The last date for filing nominations is November 2, while scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on November 3. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until November 5.

The last general elections to panchayat halqas in Ladakh were held in November 2018, necessitating the constitution of new panchayat halqas.

The schedule has been framed under Rule 7 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996, as applicable to the Union territory of Ladakh.

The provision requires the government to notify elections to panchayat halqas in consultation with the election authority. The model code of conduct has also come into force with immediate effect, directing candidates and political parties to comply strictly with the prescribed guidelines throughout the election process.

Ladakh notifies 100 constituencies across 8 hill councils

On Wednesday evening, the administration of UT Ladakh notified 100 elected constituencies across eight LAHDCs under the amended LAHDC Act, 1997: Leh (22), Kargil (21), Sankoo (13), Changthang (10), Nubra (9), Sham (9), Zanskar (9), and Drass (7).

Earlier, the administration dissolved the erstwhile LAHDC Kargil with immediate effect following the reorganisation of districts. Ladakh LG Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday notified the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2026, paving the way for hill councils in all eight districts of the Union territory, including the newly created Sankoo district.