Srinagar: A day after Congress suffered worst defeat in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LA HDC) polls at the hands of Bharatiya Janata Party that secured 18 seats, the Congress State Chief Saturday blamed both the PDP and BJP for using government machinery and money in the elections.

“On developmental side the people of Leh were satisfied with the Congress. But this time two things happened for the congress defeat, firstly PDP and BJP used all the government machinery in the elections and secondly BJP promised the Leh people of giving Union territory status,” G. A Mir told KNS over phone.

He said that it was a tactical understanding between PDP and BJP to wrest control of LAHDC from Congress. “It is not right time to say what they (BJP) did in Leh to win the elections but yes I will say that BJP with the help of their coalition partner did everything to secure the so called win,” Mir said and added that almost all the PDP-BJP ministers and government machinery camped there and ensured victory of the BJP candidates.

He said it was the BJP in Lok sabha elections which used all means to lure the voters. “It is the established fact that like this Leh elections, BJP did the same to win the LoK Sabha elections,” Mir blamed

He said it was first time in the history of JK that the ruling government used government machinery to win the elections. “It has never happened here. It was for the first time that the government machinery was utilized to win elections,” he said.

He added that now when the BJP will have their council in Leh it will be interesting to see how they will give union territory status to the Leh region.

It is to mention here that Bharatiya Janata Party secured 18 seats while Congress manged to win just five seats.

In the last LAHDC polls Congress had bagged 22 seats. BJP that had won Leh Parliament in the last parliament elections but lost both the assembly seats of Leh in the assembly.

National Conference managed to win two seats while an independent candidate also bagged one seat. Peoples Democratic Party however failed to open its account and all its candidates lost elections. (KNS)