Kashmiris vote in crucial elections, 1st after loss of autonomy

By Hilal Mir

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (AA) - Polls opened early Wednesday in Indian-administered Kashmir for crucial assembly elections, the first since 2014.

Voting will be held in three phases – Sept. 18, Sept. 25 and Oct. 1 -- followed by counting and results on Oct. 8.

The elections have greater significance as they are also the first since India scrapped the Muslim-majority region’s special autonomy in August 2019.

According to the Election Commission of India, nearly 9 million people are registered to vote for the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

The seats are distributed between the two areas that together make up the union territory – 47 for Kashmir and 43 for Jammu.

A total of 219 candidates are in the fray for the 24 constituencies in the first phase, including 16 in southern Kashmir districts that until recently were the hub of a resurgent anti-India armed insurgency.

From 2018 to Aug. 5, 2019, New Delhi ruled the region directly through a governor who wielded as much authority as an elected government.

It was then made a federally ruled territory and has since been under a lieutenant governor with even more powers.

The vote will lead to a limited transition of power from New Delhi to the local assembly, as Jammu and Kashmir will remain a union territory under direct federal control and the Indian parliament will be its top legislature.

Before its autonomy was scrapped, the region had its own constitution, a flag and a bicameral assembly that could make laws independently of India’s parliament.