Voters queued outside polling stations in India's Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to vote in the first provincial election being held in a decade in the Himalayan region that has grappled with years of militant violence.

Eight constituencies in the Jammu region and 16 from the Kashmir Valley voted on the first phase of assembly elections. Two more rounds of voting remain.

India’s troubled region of Jammu and Kashmir saw a brisk turnout amid tight security as voters cast their ballots on Wednesday in the first regional legislative elections in a decade. The region, which has seen years of separatist violence and is at the centre of a dispute between India and Pakistan,

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a record 59% voter turnout in the first phase of assembly elections, the highest in seven elections. Despite minor scuffles, the elections concluded peacefully. Factors contributing to the high turnout include improved security and active political campaigns.

In the upcoming years, the tourism sector is going to further expand in the valley, which will create a ripple effect for the overall economy of the state, he said.

SRINAGAR: A voter turnout of 26.72 per cent was recorded till 11 am in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls on Wednesday, the Election Commission said. Follow Us OnG-News | Whatsapp The voting began at 7 am amid tight security arrangements.

As the first phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir begins on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged voters to come out in huge numbers to strengthen the festival of democracy.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the main city in Himalayan Kashmir to campaign for his party in the staggered local election in the first such vote since New Delhi stripped the disput

PM Modi praised the historic voter turnout in J&K assembly polls, promising development and statehood, while criticizing dynastic politics in the region.