New Delhi is said to be backing Sajith Premadasa of the SJB, a party that is not only more pro-India but also committed to implementing the 13th Amendment.

For decades, boycotting elections in Indian-controlled Kashmir was a sign of protest against Indian rule. That may change on Wednesday, when many residents of the Muslim-majority region say they’re willing to use their vote in a local election to deny Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party the power to form an administration in the disputed region.