Two Senior Leaders Resign from Leh Apex Body Ahead of Key Talks with Centre

SRINAGAR: In a surprise development just days before a crucial round of talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), two senior leaders — Thupstan Chhewang and Nawang Rigzin Jora — have resigned from the Leh Apex Body (LAB), a key organisation leading Ladakh’s negotiations with the Centre over demands for Statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule.

Chhewang, a former Member of Parliament and a prominent voice in Ladakhi politics, also stepped down as Chairman of the High Powered Committee (HPC), which was constituted by the MHA to facilitate dialogue between the Union Government and Ladakh-based organisations. In a press statement, Chhewang said he wished to maintain his distance from “partisan and individual agendas”.

“Since stepping away from electoral politics, I have consistently distanced myself from competing interests. In keeping with this stance, I hereby resign as Chairman and member of the Apex Body (LAB), as well as from the High Powered Committee (HPC),” he said. Chhewang, who quit the BJP in 2018, also thanked LAB and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) — the region’s other principal representative forum — for their “wholehearted support”.

Shortly after, Congress leader and Union Territory Congress chief Nawang Rigzin Jora also announced his resignation from the subcommittee of LAB and the HPC. However, Jora clarified that while he was stepping back in his personal capacity, the Congress party would remain part of the Apex Body and continue to support the common agenda.

“The Congress shall continue to be part of the Apex Body and support every effort towards achieving our avowed objective (Sixth Schedule and Statehood) and criticise the ones that go against it,” Jora said in his resignation letter.

Neither of the leaders could be reached for further comment. LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk’s phone remained switched off after the resignation letters emerged.

These high-profile exits come at a sensitive juncture, as the next round of talks between Ladakhi representatives and the Home Ministry is expected to take place soon. The resignations have sparked concerns among political observers, who believe that the development may force a restructuring of the Apex Body, which, along with the KDA, has been spearheading the four-point demand that includes Statehood, Sixth Schedule status, job reservations for locals, and additional Parliamentary representation for the Union Territory.

The talks have already resulted in some progress. Following a May 27 meeting in New Delhi, the Centre announced a revised reservation policy for Ladakh, providing 85 percent job quota for locals and 33 percent reservation for women in the Autonomous Hill Development Councils. It also issued the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which grants 80 percent quota to the Scheduled Tribe population that forms the majority in the UT.

Additionally, the government notified a revised language policy, making English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi the official languages of Ladakh, with English continuing to be used for all pre-existing official purposes. In a significant administrative step, the Centre also created five new districts in August 2024 — Zanskar, Drass, and Sham in Leh district, and Nubra and Changthang in Kargil district.

Despite these policy measures, the core political demands — Statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule — remain unresolved. With two senior leaders stepping away from the frontline, the responsibility of leading the dialogue now rests with the remaining members of LAB and KDA, who are expected to regroup and recalibrate their strategy ahead of the upcoming talks.

The High Powered Committee, formed by the MHA, was tasked with recommending institutional safeguards to preserve Ladakh’s unique cultural, linguistic and demographic character, given its strategic location and sensitive geography. Whether this political setback will delay or derail the process remains to be seen.