Jammu and Kashmir is conducting its first Assembly elections in a decade, with stringent security measures in place. Voting is currently taking place for 24 seats in the first phase, attracting large crowds at polling booths since morning. By 11 a.m., voter turnout reached 26%.
Voting briefly stopped at the Baghwan Mohalla polling station in Kishtwar due to protests over voter identification.
This election, the first since the removal of Article 370, has sparked high enthusiasm among voters and political parties. Candidates from the Congress-NC alliance, PDP, and other parties are fiercely competing for the available seats in this initial phase.