印度查謨和克什米爾邦開始投票
Voters are casting ballots in the first stage of an election in Indian Kashmir.
Polling places were heavily guarded when they opened Tuesday because of security concerns. Separatists had called for a boycott of the election. Rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces for independence or a merger with Pakistan since 1989.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made an aggressive effort to win control of the 87-member assembly in the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir state.
Party officials say if it wins it will seek to fully integrate the disputed region with India.
Jammu and Kashmir will vote in five phases, with results expected on December 23.印度克什米爾的選民星期二參加第一階段選舉的投票。
出於安全考慮，投票站戒備森嚴。分離主義分子呼籲抵制這次選舉。1989年以來，反政府組織一直爲獨立或與巴基斯坦合併而同印度軍隊作戰。
印度總理莫迪所屬的印度教民族主義黨“印度人民黨”爭取控制由87名議員組成、穆斯林佔多數的查謨和克什米爾邦議會。
印度人民黨的官員說，如果贏得選舉，將謀求讓這個有爭議的地區與印度完全成爲一體。
查謨和克什米爾選舉分五個階段投票，選舉結果將於12月23日揭曉。
