Wed Sep 18 06:26:59 UTC 2024: ## Jammu & Kashmir Votes in First Assembly Election After Article 370 Repeal
**Srinagar, India** – Voting is underway in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir’s three-phase Assembly elections, marking a significant moment for the region. This is the first election in a decade, and the first since the controversial repeal of Article 370 in 2019, which stripped the state of its special status.
24 constituencies across seven districts are participating in this phase, with 8 in the Jammu region and 16 in the Kashmir valley. The election is being closely watched in Pulwama, where Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti, is contesting her first Assembly election. Ms. Mufti, competing against Bashir Ahmad Shah of the National Conference and Sofi Yousuf, the BJP’s J&K Vice President, is campaigning in the Srigufwara-Bijbehara constituency in South Kashmir.
One of the key issues in the election is the restoration of statehood, a promise made by the BJP. This issue is expected to play a crucial role in influencing voters’ decisions.
First Piper 