The Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance from Ladakh will meet Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai on Monday to press for their demands, including statehood and implementation of sixth schedule in the region.

The members of LAB and KDA – an amalgam of religious, social and political organisations in Ladakh – said they have arrived in New Delhi with an ‘open heart and mind’ and expected the Centre to reciprocate accordingly.

“We want democracy and federalism to flourish in Ladakh. We want people to choose their own representatives and we are hopeful of a positive outcome from this meeting,” said KDA’s Sajjad Kargili.

“People of Ladakh have pinned hopes on this meeting. We will also get to know about the basic skeleton of the way forward from here onwards,” said Kargili.

The talks between Ladakh representatives and the Centre will resume after 22 months as the last meeting held in August 2021 didn’t yield the “desired results”.