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.

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,

The Prime Minister announced that the train was coming to connect Kashmir and Delhi soon emphasizing that events like the G20 summit, car races, and Yoga Day reflect the spirit of Kashmiryat, which welcomes all. “For 35 years, Kashmir experienced 3,000 days of shutdown; now there are no shutdowns. Do you want to see violence return?” he asked.

Polling for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections began on September 18 amid tight security arrangements. The voting process that began at 7 am will conclude at 6 pm, per the Election Commission of India.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, residents are voting in elections that some hope will lead to restoration of the territory's statehood, which ended when it became a federally governed territory in 2019.

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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took on the 'dynastic politics' of Congress, National Conference and People's Democratic Party (PDP) as he held rally in Srinagar in support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates.