In Indian-controlled Kashmir, a region long marked by political turmoil and unrest, residents are gearing up for local elections that hold the promise of change and empowerment. The upcoming election, the first in a decade, comes in the wake of significant political shifts, including the revocation of the region's special status by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in 2019.
Many residents, who have historically boycotted elections as a form of protest against Indian rule, are now viewing the upcoming polls as an opportunity to assert their voices and push back against the central government's policies. The move to scrap the region's special status was met with widespread opposition in Kashmir, seen as an infringement on the region's identity and autonomy.
