India to hold first assembly elections in disputed Kashmir in 10 years

Associated Press

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — India has announced three-phased assembly elections in disputed Kashmir, the first in a decade and in a new political environment after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2019 stripped the Muslim-majority region of its semi-autonomy and downgraded it to a federally controlled territory. The country’s election commission said Friday that the polls will be held between Sept.18 and Oct. 1, in a staggered process that allows the government to deploy tens of thousands of troops to prevent any outbreak of violence. The local assembly will barely have any legislative powers with only nominal control of education and culture. Local politicians have demanded the earliest restoration of statehood so that full legislative powers could be returned to the local assembly.