The recently conducted DDC (District Development Councils) elections in Jammu and Kashmir is the first democratic exercise conducted within the state since the amendment of Article 370 in the state on August 5, 2019. While PAGD (People’s Alliance of Gupkar Alliance) and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), both claimed victory, the results of the elections present special challenges for anyone trying to analyse them. It was the first of its kind exercise in Jammu and Kashmir and the present political context of it makes it all the more difficult to make sense of.
To understand these elections, we are joined by Dr. Ellora Puri in this episode of Interlinked. Prof. Puri is Assistant Professor of political science at the Jammu University. Her expertise in political violence and the politics of Jammu and Kashmir is particularly relevant to the topic at hand and we hope that through her insights we can enrich the conversation around the politics of Jammu and Kashmir.