NEW DELHI, India: In Indian Occupied Kashmir, many residents who once boycotted elections in protest against Indian rule are now planning to vote in the upcoming local elections starting Wednesday.
This shift in attitude is driven by a desire to deny Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a chance to consolidate power in the disputed region. The election marks the first in Indian Occupied Kashmir since Modi’s government revoked the region’s special status in 2019, turning the former state into a federally governed territory, a move widely opposed in Kashmir.
The local elections, which will be held in three phases, are seen as an opportunity for residents to regain some form of local governance after years under direct New Delhi rule. The last assembly election took place in 2014, leading to a BJP coalition government that collapsed in 2018. Many view these elections as a protest against the changes imposed in 2019, including the loss of Kashmir’s autonomy, its flag, and protections over land and jobs.
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While some separatist leaders and local pro-India parties are contesting the elections, they aim to reverse these controversial changes. The BJP, with strong support in the Hindu-dominated Jammu region, has limited influence in the Kashmir Valley, the center of anti-India sentiment. Nonetheless, this election represents a crucial moment in determining the region’s political future.
