India is set to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18, 2024, marking the first electoral exercise since the revocation of Article 370 in 2019. This significant development has reignited debates about the region’s political status and its electoral history.
The Indian government’s move to abolish Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019 by revoking Article 370 drastically altered the region’s autonomy. Critics argue that this action undermined the right to self-determination for Kashmiris.
As the world’s largest democracy, India has a complex electoral history in Jammu and Kashmir. From 1951 to 2019, elections in the region have faced allegations of irregularities and lack of transparency from both political opponents and analysts.
Currently, there is a heavy military presence in Jammu and Kashmir, with reports indicating around 800,000 Indian troops stationed there.
The upcoming elections are seen by some as an effort by the Indian government to project normalcy in the region to the international community. However, concerns persist regarding the electoral process and its impact on the future of Jammu and Kashmir.
Western democracies, known for their advocacy of democratic values, are being urged by critics to address what they view as the erosion of democracy in the region.
