Vote counting is underway in the recent election for a local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir, marking the first election since the region lost its special status five years ago. The election, held from Sept. 18 to Oct. 1, saw nearly 8.9 million eligible voters with an overall turnout of 64% across three phases.
The move to strip the region of its semi-autonomy in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government led to the division of the former state into two centrally governed union territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir. This decision was met with opposition in Kashmir, with concerns raised about potential demographic changes in the region.
