Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India and China since 1959. Ladakh is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, but has been under Chinese control.
Leh is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the largest city and the joint capital of Ladakh. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh. The seat of the kingdom, Leh Palace, the former residence of the royal family of Ladakh, was built in the same style and about the same time as the Potala Palace in Tibet. Since they were both constructed in a similar style and at roughly the same time, the Potala Palace in Tibet and Leh Palace, the royal residence, are frequently contrasted. Leh is at an altitude of 3,524 m (11,562 ft), and is connected via National Highway 1 to Srinagar in the southwest and to Manali in the south via the Leh-Manali Highway.
Kargil district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir-region, which is administered as a union territory of Ladakh. It is named after the city of Kargil, where the district headquarters lies. The district is bounded by the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the west, the Pakistani-administered administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan to the north, Ladakh's Leh district to the east, and the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south. Encompassing three historical regions known as Purig, Dras and Zanskar, the district lies to the northeast of the Great Himalayas and encompasses the majority of the Zanskar Range. Its population inhabits the river valleys of the Dras, Suru, Wakha Rong, and Zanskar.
Leh district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir-region. Ladakh is an Indian-administered union territory. With an area of 45,110 km2, it is the second largest district in the country, second only to Kutch. It is bounded on the north by Gilgit-Baltistan's Kharmang and Ghanche districts and Xinjiang's Kashgar Prefecture and Hotan Prefecture, to which it connects via the historic Karakoram Pass. Aksai Chin and Tibet are to the east, Kargil district to the west, and Lahul and Spiti to the south. The district headquarters is in Leh. It lies between 32 and 36 degree north latitude and 75 to 80 degree east longitude.
Ladakh has a long history with evidence of human settlement from as back as 9000 b.c. It has been a crossroad of high Asia for thousands of years and has seen many cultures, empires and technologies born in its neighbours. As a result of these developments Ladakh has imported many traditions and culture from its neighbours and combining them all gave rise to a unique tradition and culture of its own.
The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh is one among the two Autonomous District Council of Ladakh Union Territory. LAHDC Leh administers the Leh district of Ladakh, India.
Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) is an organization in Ladakh, India concerned with interests of Buddhists in Ladakh. It was founded in 1933 by King Jigmet Dadul Namgyal, Kalon Tsewang Rigzin, lachumir Munshi Sonam Tsewang and Kalon Bankapa Morup Gyaltsan
Ladakh Union Territory Front (LUTF) was formed in 2002 as a conglomerate of political parties in Ladakh in India.
Haji Ghulam Hassan Khan is an Indian politician from the union territory of Ladakh.
Qamar Ali Akhoon is an Indian politician from Jammu and Kashmir. He is a senior member of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.
Haji Asgar Ali Karbalai is an Indian political and social leader from Kargil, Ladakh. He has been the chief executive councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil twice. As of December 2014, he is a member of the Legislative assembly of Jammu and Kashmir. He is an influential member of the socio-religious organisation Imam Khomeini Memorial.
Chering Dorjay is an Indian politician and was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Dorjay was a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council from the Assembly Kashmir (Ladakh). He was Minister for Cooperatives and Ladakh Affairs in Jammu and Kashmir till 19 June 2018.
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, also known by his initials JTN, is an Indian politician who served as a Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha for Ladakh, India's largest parliamentary seat geographically. Namgyal was elected, on 9 November 2018, to be the youngest and 8th Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. He belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh(sic) is the governing authority of the Indian union territory of Ladakh and its two districts. The Administration is led by a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the President of India who acts on behalf of the central Government of India. Ladakh does not have an elected legislative assembly. The two districts of Ladakh both elect their own autonomous district council-the Leh Autonomous Hill development council and the Kargil Autonomous Hill development Council, which have competence over a range of domestic affairs.
Politics of Ladakh is exercised within democratic setup of the Indian-administered union territory of Ladakh. Major power centres are Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil alongside Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency. Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party are major political parties. Ladakhi religious organisations like Ladakh Buddhist Association, Imam Khomeni Memorial Trust and Anjuman-e-Jamiat-ul-Ulama Asna Asharia have major influences as well.
Elections were held in October 2020 for the 26 seats of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. The Bharatiya Janata Party won 15 and the Indian National Congress won 9 seats respectively out of the 26 seats. The other 2 seats were won by 2 independent candidates.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Ladakh:
Elections were held in October 2023 for the 26 seats of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil. This was also the first election conducted in the union territory of Ladakh since its split from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
Tashi Gyalson is an Indian politician from the Union territory of Ladakh. Since 2020, he is the Chief Executive Councilor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. He was a candidate of the 2024 Indian general election in Ladakh.
