BARAMULLA: Voters in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) are casting ballots today in the third and final round of elections to establish the territory’s first government since its status was altered in 2019.
This change came when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoked IIOJK’s limited autonomy, leading to mass arrests and a prolonged communication blackout.
Since that time, the region has been governed by a federally appointed governor, with no elected representatives. The area is heavily militarized, with over half a million Indian troops deployed. Today, polling stations in Baramulla district are heavily guarded by armed soldiers.
The elections have been fueled by a high unemployment rate and public discontent over the 2019 changes. Local parties are campaigning on promises to restore the territory’s autonomy. “I voted so that there is some relief for us. Modi doesn’t agree with the views of Kashmiri people,” said Abdul Rahim Rah, a local resident.
Voter turnout has exceeded 55% in the first two rounds of voting, although previous elections have seen lower participation due to boycotts by separatist groups advocating for independence or a merger with Pakistan. Since the conflict began in 1989, tens of thousands of lives have been lost, including many this year.
The territory, known as “Jammu and Kashmir,” has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. While Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claims that the 2019 changes have ushered in a new era of peace and economic growth, local political parties argue that these measures have severely restricted civil liberties.
In the elections, the BJP is contesting all seats in the Jammu region but only about a third in the predominantly Muslim Kashmir Valley. Regardless of the election outcome, key governance decisions will remain under the control of Delhi, where Modi’s government holds a parliamentary majority capable of overriding local legislation.
Results from today’s voting are set to be announced on October 8.
