Delegation of diplomats to witness elections in Kashmir

India will showcase the democratic process to foreign diplomats in the ongoing assembly elections in Kashmir on Wednesday.

The high level delegation of senior diplomats will be travelling to Kashmir today to see the conditions as votes are cast to elect a legislative Assembly for Jammu and Kashmir.

These are the first elections to the Assembly after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Elections to Lok Sabha were conducted alongside rest of the country through April-June this year.

“A high level delegation of senior diplomats is traveling to Kashmir to witness the ongoing Assembly elections,” official sources said.

The delegation comprised diplomats from Delhi-based missions of the US, Mexico, Guyana, South Korea, Somalia, Panama, Singapore, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Tanzania, Rwanda, Algeria and the Philippines, people familiar with the matter said.

Most of the embassies are represented by their Charge d’affaires or deputy chief of missions, they said.

Others are represented by political officers at minister-counsellor and counsellor ranks.

Polling for 26 seats of six districts, namely Ganderbal, Srinagar and Budgam in Kashmir and Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu, in the second phase is underway in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

Elections are being conducted in three phases from September 18 till October 1, 2024. Voting for 24 seats in the first phase on September 18  saw significant voter turnout.

The voting for 40 seats in third phase will be held on October 1 while counting of votes will be held on October 8.

The Assembly also has a provision of the Lieutenant Governor nominating 5 persons.