The three-phased election process to select a local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir began on Wednesday, marking the first such vote since the region lost its special status five years ago. The election, divided into three phases, aims to choose 24 lawmakers out of 219 candidates in the first phase.
Security measures were heightened with the deployment of additional police and paramilitary forces in the region's seven southern districts, where over 2.3 million residents are eligible to vote. Troops, equipped with riot gear and assault rifles, set up checkpoints and patrolled the constituencies to ensure a peaceful voting process.
