India's BJP aims to win first Kashmir seats along with 'hearts and minds'

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir -- India's upcoming general election marks the first major ballot-box battle in Jammu and Kashmir since the territory was stripped of its limited autonomy in 2019, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party aiming to make unprecedented inroads.

But while voters in the region will have their say in the national polls, they are still waiting for local elections that have not been held in a decade. Meanwhile, the campaign highlights dueling narratives: The Hindu nationalist BJP argues it has brought stability and economic development to the region, while its critics say that normalcy is an illusion and that rights are under threat, particularly those of Kashmir's majority Muslim population.