Could record election turnout be a turning point for troubled Kashmir?

Despite not fielding any candidates of its own in the region, Narendra Modi’s BJP is claiming high turnouts as a vindication of its controversial Kashmir policies. Maroosha Muzaffar reports on why it is not that simple

Supporters of National Conference party dance during an election rally in Srinagar, Kashmir (AP)

Kashmir has witnessed unexpectedly high voter turnout for the ongoing Indian national election, splitting opinion on what it might mean for the conflict-ravaged Himalayan region.

While Narendra Modi’s government is portraying it as an expression of public support for its Kashmir policy, Kashmiri voters, politicians and analysts see it as an assertion of identity and local interests by people who have repeatedly challenged the legitimacy of New Delhi’s rule in the restive region.

In Monday’s voting, the fifth of seven phases in this marathon general election, Baramulla in north Kashmir recorded its highest voter turnout ever, with a constituency that has been notorious for separatist militant activity beating the turnout figures for heartland states of Bihar and Maharashtra.