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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Aakash Hassan in Kulgam, Kashmir and Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi

‘Utter disillusionment’: Kashmir sees first election since 2014 as chance to reject Modi

Narendra Modi Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party India Abdul Rashid Sheikh Pakistan
Supporters of India's opposition Congress party at an election rally in Dooru, Jammu and Kashmir.
Supporters of India's opposition Congress party at an election rally in Dooru, Jammu and Kashmir. Turnout at the region’s first election since 2014 is expected to be unusually high. Photograph: Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock

For the first time in almost 40 years, Bashir Ahmad Thokar, a 75-year-old apple farmer, cannot wait to cast his vote. In the Himalayan valleys and mountains of the Indian region of Kashmir, elections have long been deemed a tainted affair, marred by rigging, boycotts and violence. But as Kashmiris go to the polls on Wednesday to vote for their first regional assembly in a decade, this time there has been a palpable buzz.

“This is the first time since 1987 that the people of Kashmir are excited about the elections,” says Thokar.

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