Jammu and Kashmir is set to hold its first Assembly elections since the revocation of Article 370, with polling scheduled in three phases starting September 18. The second and third phases will take place on September 25 and October 1, respectively. The votes will be counted on October 4, coinciding with the Haryana Assembly election results.

This marks the first Assembly election in the Union Territory after a decade of political uncertainty. The last state government, led by Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP in coalition with the BJP, collapsed in 2018. Since then, Jammu and Kashmir has been without an elected government, operating under direct rule from the central government.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, during a press briefing, emphasized the record voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha elections as a clear indication of the public’s desire for change and democratic engagement. "The people of Jammu and Kashmir have shown that they prefer the ballot over the bullet," Kumar remarked, highlighting the region's hope for a new political direction.

In a major change following the 2019 scrapping of Article 370, the Legislative Assembly will now have 90 seats, up from 83, with 43 seats in the Jammu region and 47 in the Kashmir Valley. The delimitation process, which added six seats to Jammu and one to Kashmir, has faced criticism from regional parties, who argue that it favors the BJP, traditionally strong in Jammu.

For the first time, nine seats will be reserved for Scheduled Tribes, and seven for Scheduled Castes. Additionally, the Assembly will include representation from the Kashmiri migrant community, with the Lieutenant Governor nominating three members, two from the migrant community and one representing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir refugees.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a four-way contest among the National Conference (NC), Congress, People's Democratic Party (PDP), and BJP. The PDP emerged as the single-largest party but formed a coalition government with the BJP, which secured a significant vote share.

Despite the improved situation in Kashmir, recent months have seen a resurgence of terror attacks in Jammu, resulting in the deaths of 21 security personnel this year. This violence underscores the region's ongoing challenges as it prepares for this significant electoral event.