Kashmir’s largest pro-India political party, the National Conference (NC), won the most seats in the recent election for a largely powerless local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir, according to official data. This vote is viewed as a referendum against the 2019 move by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which stripped the disputed region of its special status.
The elections in the troubled India-administered Kashmir, which concluded on Saturday, were held in three phases for a 90-seat assembly.
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The National Conference secured 41 seats and was leading in one constituency, primarily from the Kashmir Valley. Meanwhile, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 27 seats and was leading in two, all from the Hindu-dominated areas of Jammu.
India’s main opposition Congress party, which fought the election in alliance with the NC, succeeded in six constituencies.
While losing power in India-administered Kashmir is not expected to impact the Modi government’s ability to make federal policies, it is viewed as a setback for the BJP ahead of elections in the politically crucial states of Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
