The Indian-administered region of Kashmir is set to hold local elections starting September 18, according to the Election Commission of India. These elections will be the first regional polls in the area in a decade and five years after New Delhi revoked the region’s special autonomy. “After a long pause, elections are now on the agenda, and they will take place in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday.
Voting for the regional assembly will occur in three phases between September 18 and October 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for October 4. Almost nine million people are registered to vote for the 90-member legislative assembly, as stated by the Election Commission.
Some view these elections as a critical step towards restoring the opportunity for local residents to elect their leaders. Kashmir, which is India’s only Muslim-majority region, has been the focus of 77 years of conflict with neighboring Pakistan, originating from the two countries’ independence from British colonial rule. The larger Kashmir region is divided among India, Pakistan, and China.
The Indian-administered area previously enjoyed special status, which was revoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2019. The decision to hold elections follows a ruling by India’s Supreme Court in December, which dismissed requests to challenge the withdrawal of Kashmir’s special status and set a deadline for provincial elections by September 30.
Modi claims that his 2019 decision brought normalcy to Kashmir after decades of turmoil and that the special status provided a degree of administrative autonomy to the region. However, many residents in Indian-administered Kashmir have vowed to oppose the Indian government.
Both India and Pakistan claim full sovereignty over Kashmir but only partially control it after fighting two of their three wars over the region. Tens of thousands have died in an armed insurgency against Indian rule in the area, although violence has decreased in recent years. India has accused Pakistan of supporting armed groups, while a series of attacks have mainly targeted the Hindu-majority Jammu region. Pakistan denies these allegations, stating that it only provides diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiri groups seeking self-determination.
Previous elections in Kashmir have been targeted by armed groups and have seen low voter turnout. However, the territory recorded its highest participation rate in 35 years at 58.46% during the parliamentary elections held in April and May of this year. Modi’s government and election officials emphasize that this reflects the confidence of Kashmiri voters in the democratic process.
Some staunch separatists, who demand independence for Kashmir or a merger with Pakistan, view the elections as an endorsement of Indian control. They are calling for a referendum to determine the future of the approximately 12 million residents in the region.