India’s Kashmir region holds first regional polls in a decade

For the first time in a decade, voters in India’s disputed Jammu and Kashmir lined up at polling stations for the provincial election. The region, long plagued by unrest, saw 9 million registered voters participate in the three-phase election to choose members for the 90-seat legislature. Votes will be counted on Oct. 8 with results expected the same day.

The election marks a significant step in restoring democratic rights in the Muslim-majority territory, which has been at the center of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947. Last year, India revoked the region’s special autonomy, a move that was upheld by the Supreme Court, leading to the scheduled local polls.

The contest features regional parties vying to restore special status, India’s Congress party aligned with a regional group, and the BJP advocating development and stability. While the legislative assembly will have governing powers, only the federal government can reinstate the region’s special status.