Indian-held Kashmir’s bifurcation and absorption into the Indian union certainly violated UN Security Council resolutions. The National Conference won 42 out of the 90 seats, with eight of Congress bringing the alliance’s tally to 50 in the union territory, which is awaiting the status of a state assembly as per the promise made by the Modi government. People have given a befitting reply to those who trampled upon J-K’s respect by taking away its statehood. The NC-Congress alliance will make all-out efforts to revive the statehood. India-held Kashmir voted in the first local elections since the cancellation of its special semi-autonomous status in sparked fury in the valley. Many in the Muslim-majority territory of 8.7 million registered voters remain bitter over the 2019 order by the Hindu-nationalist government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to impose control from New Delhi. A federally appointed governor has controlled the territory since, with the first regional assembly elections in a decade viewed by many as being more about exercising their democratic rights. After 10 years Kashmiris we want our voice represented, said a group of Kashmiris, who voted in the cool morning mountain air of Pulwama, near the main city of Srinagar. About 500,000 Indian troops stand deployed in the region, battling a 35-year uprising in which tens of thousands of civilians, fighters, and soldiers suffered killing, including dozens this year. Our problems have piled up as the bureaucracy took the reins of power. All we care about is that we want to be governed by well-educated representatives who can solve our problems. We have voted to have our government, saying they have worries that common land was being taken under the rule of federal authorities. We can now go to our elected representative to solve our issues. Election results show that the BJP’s dream remains unfulfilled as it could only win 29 seats, far short of the simple majority needed to form the government. The party got four more seats than in the 2014 elections but that was not the result the BJP wanted. The latest polls, meanwhile, saw the revival of the Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), the oldest party in the disputed region. It won 42 seats while Indian National Congress (INC) bagged six. The JKNC and INC had already announced their alliance, meaning they would have a simple majority to form the government. There were 90 seats up for grabs while Lieutenant Governor would nominate five members. However, even that would not change the equation as JKNC still has the majority. It is important to note that the elections were not fought on issues such as jobs, poverty, and health and education facilities. People voted for JKNC because it promised to restore the special status of the disputed territory and favored dialogue between India and Pakistan. This means it was a clear defeat of the Modi government’s narrative that the Kashmir dispute was settled after the abrogation of Article 370. That both JKNC and INC spoke of the India-Pakistan dialogue suggests that both these parties were aware of the sentiments in the valley. Currently, Kashmir is a union territory, meaning the Centre is directly controlling it. Nevertheless, the restoration of statehood does not mean going back to the pre-August 2019 situation. Omar Abdullah, the JKNC leader and the sworn-in Chief Minister, concedes that restoration of Article 370 is impossible as long as the BJP is in the government. However, he says that Modi will not remain in the government forever. Therefore, he thinks that once the BJP is out of power, there may be a chance to reverse all those changes. One thing is clear Kashmiris have given a referendum on Modi’s policies.
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