Voting begins in Indian-administered Kashmir’s first local elections since 2014

Voting commenced on Wednesday in Indian-administered Kashmir, marking the first local elections in a decade and the first since the region lost its semi-autonomous status five years ago.

The election is being held in three phases due to security and logistical challenges in the restive Himalayan region.

More than 2.3 million residents are eligible to vote in the first phase, which covers 24 Assembly constituencies across seven southern districts.

Amid a heavy police and paramilitary presence, additional troops were deployed, with checkpoints and patrols set up across the constituencies. Indian-administered Kashmir remains one of the most militarised zones in the world with around 500,000 Indian troops combating a decades-long insurgency.

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The last assembly election was held in 2014. Since then, many in the Muslim-majority region remain discontented with the 2019 decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to revoke the region’s special status.

This election is seen as a crucial step towards restoring democratic processes and potentially allowing Indian-administered Kashmir to have its own government and local legislature.