Opposition wins first Kashmir elections since revocation of autonomy
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The National Conference (NC) and Congress alliance won the first local elections in Indian-administered Kashmir, securing a majority in the 90-seat regional assembly.
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Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) party leader Omar Abdullah, standing on car shakes hands with supporters as he celebrates his victory in the election for a local government in Indian controlled Kashmir, Budgam, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Indian-administered Kashmir held on Tuesday its first local elections since the region’s partial autonomy was revoked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2019.
The elections marked a significant moment in the territory’s political history, with opposition parties, the National Conference (NC) and Congress, winning a clear majority in the 90-seat regional assembly.
The election results are being seen by some as a referendum on the Modi government’s controversial decision to cancel Kashmir’s special status, which had allowed the Muslim-majority region to govern much of its internal affairs.
The revocation, which occurred in August 2019, was followed by mass arrests, a months-long communications blackout, and intensified military presence in the area.
Since then, the region has been ruled directly by a governor appointed by New Delhi, with no elected local government in place.
Celebrations
For the first time since 2014, voters participated in local elections, and by mid-afternoon, results showed that the NC-Congress alliance had won 47 seats, a decisive victory over Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which secured 27 seats, mostly from the Hindu-majority Jammu region.
"We are happy with the election results and hope that the political rights will be restored," said Jahangir Ahmad, among the cheering crowds outside the home of NC leader Omar Abdullah, the territory's expected new chief minister.
His father, NC President Farooq Abdullah, called the result a "verdict" against Modi’s policies in Kashmir.
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While some hailed the election as a victory for democracy, critics argue that the regional assembly will hold limited power.
It will primarily oversee areas like education and culture, while New Delhi retains the ability to override legislation and continues to appoint the governor.
The BJP, meanwhile, maintains that the 2019 changes have brought peace and economic growth to the region—claims that opposition parties reject.
Since the removal of autonomy, Kashmir has remained a flashpoint of conflict, with half a million Indian troops deployed in the region to combat a 35-year insurgency.
Tens of thousands of people, including civilians, soldiers, and rebels, have been killed over the decades, with dozens more fatalities reported this year.
