SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Voting in the final phase of the election to choose a local government in Indian-controlled Kashmir began Tuesday in the first such vote since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stripped the disputed region of its special status five years ago.

Indian-administered Kashmir was voting Tuesday in the third and final round of polls to elect its first government since the insurgency-wracked territory was brought under New Delhi's direct control.Hindu-nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government cancelled Kashmir's partial autonomy in 2019,

Mallikarjun Kharge said a single vote is crucial for ensuring better employment opportunities for the youth, combating corruption and safeguarding land rights.

Ahead of the final phase of a local election in Indian-controlled Kashmir, a key resistance leader says the regional polls to choose a local government will not resolve the decades-old conflict that is at the heart of a dispute between New Delhi and Pakistan.

The polling, which began at 7 am, will determine the fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy CMs Tara Chand and Muzaffar Beig.

Jammu and Kashmir is gearing up for the third and final phase of its Assembly elections on October 1, with campaigning officially concluding today. This marks the first Assembly elections in the region in a decade.

The earlier phases of the Assembly election saw 61.38 per cent voter turnout in the first phase on September 18 and 57.31 per cent in the second phase on September 25.

Srinagar: The third phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir saw a cumulative voter turnout of 28.12 per cent as of 11 am on Tuesday, as per the Election Commission of India. According to the latest data issued by ECI,

In Jammu and Kashmir, the final phase of assembly elections sees over 3.9 million eligible voters at polling stations. By 9 am, turnout was 11.6%, with significant participation from new voters.