The third and final round of voting for the Jammu & Kashmir elections will be held tomorrow (October 1). This is the first assembly poll in the erstwhile state after 2014.
The last 10 years have seen momentous changes in the political complexion of the region. Soon after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Article 370, which gave a special status to the state, was rescinded. Further, it was divided into two Union Territories – Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promised to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood in future. And while a few regional players have sought a restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress has been non-committal on it.
The assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir this year were preceded by the Lok Sabha election. The BJP contested two seats in the Jammu region and won both. In the remaining three seats in Kashmir, the National Conference (NC) won two seats and an Independent candidate was elected from one. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) was unable to open its account.
The two key leaders of the NC........