BJP beats Congress, but Kashmiris choose autonomy supporting party

KASHMIR/HARYANA: The National Conference (NC)-led alliance has won 48 out of 90 seats in the first state legislative elections in India-administered Kashmir in over a decade.

This victory is especially significant since the victorious party has long been a strong opponent of India’s decision to strip Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status five years ago.

BJP leads in Haryana vote count, Congress alliance ahead in Kashmir

The Election Commission announced on Tuesday that the NC secured 42 seats, while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took 29. The Indian National Congress, which contested in alliance with the NC, won six seats.

The election, held in three phases starting from September 18, was the first legislative vote since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoked Kashmir’s special status and reorganised the region into two union territories.

Omar Abdullah, leader of the NC and former chief minister of the region, expressed gratitude for the public’s support. “People have supported us more than we expected. Our next step is to prove ourselves worthy of these votes,” Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.

Kashmir has long been a focal point of tension between India and Pakistan, with both nations claiming the region in full but ruling it in part, having fought two wars over its control since 1947.

Some viewed the election as a referendum on the federal government’s controversial decision to revoke the region’s special status, Al Jazeera reported. “The people have delivered a verdict against what New Delhi did,” said social activist Iqbal Ahmad Bhat. Jahangir Ahmad, a local resident, added that he hoped the NC-led alliance’s victory would lead to the restoration of “political rights” in Kashmir.

India’s ruling party set to lose two state elections, exit polls show

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated his party’s unexpected victory in Haryana state, calling it “historic” and attributing the win to the public choosing “development over lies.” The BJP’s success in Haryana further strengthened its standing in the northern heartland following a dip in national elections.