LAB, KDA Claim Breakthrough Talks With Centre on Ladakh Governance

In a major political development for Ladakh , two prominent civil society groups Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Friday announced that they had reached an “in-principle understanding” with the Centre on a framework aimed at providing constitutional safeguards and restoring democratic governance in the Union Territory.

The announcement came after a meeting of a sub-committee comprising representatives of the two groups and officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) . While the Centre did not issue an official statement immediately, LAB and KDA described the talks as “detailed and constructive” .

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the understanding centres on creating a governance model for Ladakh on the lines of special constitutional protections under Article 371 , similar to those available to states such as Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram .

Under the proposed arrangement, Ladakh would have a Union Territory-level legislative body with legislative, executive and financial powers vested in elected representatives. The executive head of the elected body is proposed to function in the role of a Chief Minister , while all bureaucrats in the UT, including the Chief Secretary , would be brought under the authority of the elected administration.

The issue of constitutional safeguards has remained at the centre of political mobilisation in Ladakh since 2019 , when Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated and Ladakh was made a separate Union Territory without a legislature . Residents and civil society groups have since demanded safeguards to protect Ladakh’s land, jobs, culture, language and tribal identity .

LAB and KDA have consistently sought Statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution , which provides special protections for tribal areas. During the latest discussions, the groups reiterated these demands along with the restoration of democratic representation .

According to the statement, MHA officials explained that immediate statehood was not feasible because Ladakh currently lacks sufficient revenue generation to independently meet expenditure obligations such as government salaries. However, the proposed arrangement was described as a pathway towards eventual full statehood once financial criteria are met.

The two groups said they would continue consultations with the MHA and constitutional experts to finalise the operational details of the proposed framework.