Tue Oct 01 03:42:29 UTC 2024: ## Kashmir Holds Final Election Phase, First Since 2019 Status Change
**SRINAGAR, INDIA** – The final phase of voting for a local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir concluded Tuesday, marking the first such election since India revoked the region’s special status in 2019. Over 3.9 million residents were eligible to cast ballots for 40 lawmakers from among 415 candidates across seven districts.
This election marks the first in a decade and the first since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stripped Kashmir of its semi-autonomy, a move that sparked widespread protests and criticism. The region has been under heightened security since then, with thousands of armed forces deployed and civil liberties curtailed.
The 2019 decision downgraded and divided the former state into two centrally governed union territories: Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, both directly administered by New Delhi. While the move resonated with Modi supporters, it was largely met with opposition in Kashmir, seen as an attack on its identity and autonomy.
This election has drawn particular attention as it allows tens of thousands of Pakistani Hindu refugees, who migrated to Jammu in 1947, to vote for the first time in a regional election. Previously, Kashmir’s special status only allowed descendants of residents from 1934 to vote and own property.
“It’s a Diwali for us,” said Vikram Choudhary, a first-time voter in Jammu’s R S Pura area, comparing the vote to the Hindu festival of light. “We feel liberated.”
The election has seen significant participation, with an estimated 69% voter turnout on Tuesday. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a strong base in Jammu, where they largely favor the 2019 changes. However, they are weak in the Kashmir Valley and are contesting only 19 out of 47 seats there.
Many voters in the valley expressed frustration over the absence of their own representatives for years, seeing the election as a means to voice their anger at India’s actions.
“Truth is that it’s the central government has been the real ruler here even before 2019,” said Syed Altaf, a voter in the Kashmir Valley.
The results of the election will be announced next Tuesday. While the multistage election will allow Kashmir to have its own truncated government and a local legislature, it will remain a “union territory” directly controlled by the federal government. Full statehood, which would grant the new government more power, is still pending.
The election comes amidst a long-standing conflict between India and Pakistan over the region. Militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir have been fighting against New Delhi’s rule since 1989, with many Muslim Kashmiris supporting their goal of uniting the territory under either Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
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