Chewang, Jora resign from Apex Body Leh, High Powered Committee

Kargil, Jul 6: Two senior politicians and members of the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and the High Powered Committee (HPC) constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to negotiate Ladakh’s four-point agenda, including constitutional safeguards with the Centre, resigned from both the committees.

Sources said that the veteran politician Thupstan Chhewang resigned as Chairman and member of the ABL and also from the High-Powered Committee (HPC) constituted to negotiate Ladakh’s constitutional safeguards with the MHA.

In a statement issued here, Chhewang reiterated his decision to stay away from electoral politics.

“Since stepping away from electoral politics, I have consistently distanced myself from partisan and individual agendas. In keeping with this stance, I hereby resign as Chairman and member of the Apex Body, as well as from the High-Powered Committee. I prefer not to be entangled in competing interests,” he said.

Chhewang thanked all members of the ABL and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) for their “wholehearted support” during his tenure.

Chhewang has served twice in the Lok Sabha in 2004 as an LUTF candidate and again in 2014 as a BJP MP before resigning in 2018 over disagreements with party leadership.

In 2021, he was unanimously elected President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA).

In a related development, senior Congress leader and President of Ladakh Territorial Congress Committee, Nawang Rigzin Jora, also announced his withdrawal from the subcommittee of the ABL and High-Powered Committee.

In a formal letter addressed to the Chairman of the ABL, Jora wrote, “I am withdrawing and recusing myself from the subcommittee as well as from the High-Powered Committee. However, the Congress party shall continue to remain part of the ABL, support all genuine efforts towards achieving our avowed objectives, including the Sixth Schedule and statehood and criticise any moves that undermine them.”