Unusually high turnout expected in what is also first vote since Indian PM stripped region of statehood five years ago
For the first time in almost 40 years, Bashir Ahmad Thokar, a 75-year-old apple farmer, cannot wait to cast his vote. In the Himalayan valleys and mountains of the Indian region of Kashmir, elections have long been deemed a tainted affair, marred by rigging, boycotts and violence. But as Kashmiris go to the polls on Wednesday to vote for their first regional assembly in a decade, this time there has been a palpable buzz.
“This is the first time since 1987 that the people of Kashmir are excited about the elections,” says Thokar.
