Party opposed to India’s stripping of Kashmir’s autonomy wins election
India-administered Kashmir’s biggest political party opposed to India’s stripping of the region’s semi-autonomy has won the most seats in the first legislative elections since the move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government five years ago.
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, or NC, won 42 seats in the 90-seat Legislative Assembly, the Election Commission announced on Tuesday.
The BJP secured 29 seats while the country’s main opposition Indian National Congress party, which fought the election in alliance with the NC, succeeded in six constituencies.
Polling took place over three phases starting on September 18.
“People have supported us more than our expectations. Now our efforts will be to prove that we are worth these votes,” Omar Abdullah, the NC leader and the region’s former chief minister, told reporters in the main city of Srinagar.
Restoration of ‘political rights’?
Some saw the vote as a de facto referendum on the federal government’s decision to repeal the territory’s special status.
The move downgraded and divided the former state into two centrally governed union territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir.
“The people have given their judgement against what New Delhi did,” social activist Iqbal Ahmad Bhat told the AFP news agency.
Resident Jahangir Ahmad told AFP that he hoped “political rights will be restored” in the state after the NC-led alliance’s victory.
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Nevertheless, critics said the assembly has only nominal powers over education and culture. New Delhi also has the power to override legislation and will continue to appoint the governor.
The BJP won all its seats in the southern Hindu-majority region of Jammu.
Measures brought in by Modi after revoking article 370 in 2019, the central BJP government still has considerable powers over Kashmir, while the regional assembly has largely been stripped of its influence and holds more of a ceremonial role.
Abdul Majeed Malik, a Kashmiri voter, said he doubted the elections would bring any significant change but said there was “a relief that the BJP has been contained”.
