The Union Territory of Ladakh will hold elections to all Panchayat Halqas on November 21, with the State Election Commission scheduling the entire electoral process to be completed by November 30.

The announcement, made by the State Election Commission on Wednesday, October 21, comes eight years after the last panchayat elections in the region, which were held in November 2018.

According to the announced schedule, the election notification will be issued by the Administrator and the State Election Commission on October 26. Candidates will be able to file their nomination papers until November 2, while scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for November 3.

The deadline for candidates to withdraw their nominations is November 5, ahead of polling on November 21. The complete election process is scheduled to conclude by November 30.

Model code of conduct comes into force

The Model Code of Conduct for candidates and political parties participating in the panchayat elections has come into force with immediate effect.

The commission has directed all concerned to comply with the code and subsequent instructions issued for the elections. The rules are intended to regulate campaign activities and ensure that the electoral process is conducted in accordance with the prescribed guidelines.

The code includes restrictions on the use of places of worship for election propaganda and the use of public or private property for putting up campaign posters without written permission. It also directs public servants to maintain impartiality and refrain from campaigning for or against any candidate or political party.

Ladakh’s previous panchayat elections were held in 2018

The previous general elections to Panchayat Halqas in Ladakh took place in November 2018, when the region was part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ladakh became a separate Union Territory in 2019 following the reorganisation of the erstwhile state. The upcoming polls will provide an opportunity to elect representatives to local panchayat bodies across the region.

The election schedule also comes amid wider administrative changes in Ladakh, including the restructuring of its district-level governance and the expansion of the proposed autonomous hill council structure.

French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised US President Donald Trump and other foreign leaders for their remarks about the recent unrest in France, accusing them of using the situation to advance their political agendas.

Speaking to reporters in Doha on Wednesday, October 21, Macron said foreign manipulation of information following the violence and looting had led to comments he described as “unacceptable” and “stupid”.

When asked whether he was referring to Trump, Macron replied, “Among others.”

The remarks came after Trump attributed the unrest in France to immigration and urged European countries to tighten their borders. Macron rejected claims that France had been overrun by migrants and Islamists, describing them as false.

Macron rejects claims linking unrest to immigration

Trump had argued that immigration was responsible for the violence in France, dismissing other explanations related to education and social concerns. He also urged Macron to close France’s borders, warning that the country faced serious consequences if it failed to act.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed that immigration had damaged France and called on the country to regain control of its borders.

Macron pushed back against this narrative, saying that some foreign leaders were repeating misleading claims about the situation. He also highlighted the circulation of artificial intelligence-generated images that depicted events he said had never taken place in France.

The French president said claims that the country had been invaded by large numbers of migrants and Islamists were “completely false”.

Macron argued that some politicians were using France’s domestic situation to support their own political campaigns, particularly as elections approach in their respective countries.

French minister offers to counter misinformation

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said his office could provide clarification to countries concerned about the situation.

He said the aim was to help prevent the spread or amplification of false information and unsupported claims on social media.

Macron also criticised those speaking negatively about France during the unrest, saying that foreign leaders should not exploit the country’s difficulties for political purposes.

Protests driven by rising living costs

The unrest followed demonstrations over rising living costs, inflation and concerns about public services. The protests initially involved students demanding more teachers and better school conditions before expanding to include trade unions and others concerned about economic pressures.

Violence and looting subsequently affected Paris and other French cities.

The French interior ministry estimated that 550,000 people took part in the nationwide demonstrations, while the CGT trade union put attendance at 800,000. The demands reported in connection with the demonstrations centred on living costs and public services rather than immigration.

The French government has faced pressure to prevent further violence, with additional demonstrations planned in the coming days.

Macron said France had the means to maintain order and indicated that a state of emergency was not necessary at that stage.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka are set to be released after spending seven days in judicial custody, following an order by a Special Executive Magistrate in Delhi on Wednesday.

The two leaders had been in judicial custody since October 14 in connection with an incident at Jantar Mantar, which is no longer a designated site for protests. They were accused of entering the restricted protest area and violating conditions linked to maintaining public peace.

The magistrate’s order brings their period of judicial custody to an end after their detention and subsequent remand. Their custody had initially been ordered for five days before being extended by another two days on October 19.

Delhi High Court declines to intervene

Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi High Court declined to interfere with the judicial custody of Das and Ranka. The court asked them to await the outcome of the proceedings before the Special Executive Magistrate and indicated that they could approach the appellate court if their grievances remained unresolved.

The leaders had challenged the decision to place them in judicial custody. The proceedings came amid continuing legal disputes over police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar.

Why the CJP leaders were detained

Das and Ranka were detained in connection with a protest at Jantar Mantar against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protest also involved demands directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Jantar Mantar had recently been removed from the list of designated protest venues under a Delhi Police order. The police alleged that the CJP members entered the site despite the restrictions and obstructed officials carrying out their duties.

The police also cited alleged violations of previously executed peace bonds. Das and Ranka had earlier been released after furnishing bonds and undertaking to maintain peace.

The authorities initiated proceedings under preventive provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). While the two leaders were sent to judicial custody, another CJP member, Ajinkya Shinde, was released on a personal bond during the earlier proceedings.

The latest order directs the release of Das and Ranka after seven days in custody. The case has drawn attention to the restrictions on demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and the legal proceedings arising from the CJP’s protests.