New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has scheduled the long-awaited assembly elections in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to be held in three phases, beginning September 18, marking the first such polls in the region in nearly a decade.

According to Kashmir Media Service announcement issued on 16 August 2024, India’s Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar announced the election dates during a press conference in New Delhi. The elections are set to occur on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with the vote count slated for October 4. The elections will span across all districts, beginning with Pulwama, Islamabad (Anantnag), Shopian, Kulgam, Ramban, Kishtwar, and Doda in the first phase. The subsequent phases will cover additional districts, culminating with Bandipora, Kupwara, Baramulla, Udhampur, Jammu, Samba, and Kathua in the third phase.

This electoral decision follows the 2014 assembly elections and comes after significant political changes in the region, including the abrogation of IIOJK’s special status in August 2019 by the BJP-led government, leading to its reorganization into two union territories. The delay in conducting assembly polls has been a point of contention, heightened by the Supreme Court of India’s directive to hold elections by September 30, 2024.

The context of these elections is deeply intertwined with the ongoing demands from local parties and the populace for a plebiscite under UN supervision, advocating for the right to self-determination. This stance views the forthcoming elections under Indian administration as insufficient in addressing the fundamental political grievances of the Kashmiri people.