Leaders of Kashmir’s biggest political party have been sworn into office to run a largely powerless local government for the first time after India stripped the region of its special status five years ago.

The vote was Kashmir's first in a decade and the first since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government scrapped the Muslim-majority region’s long-held semi-autonomy in 2019. The NC staunchly opposed the move, and its victory is seen as a referendum against the Modi government's changes.

Leaders of Kashmir’s biggest political party were sworn into office Wednesday to run a largely powerless government after the first local election since India stripped the disputed region of its special status five years ago.

A plea seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood in a time-bound manner was brought before the Supreme Court on Thursday, with the court agreeing to hear the matter urgently. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan,

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan appeared before a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, requesting an urgent hearing of the plea

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider hearing a plea for statehood in Jammu and Kashmir. The apex court had previously upheld the revocation of Article 370 and called for assembly elections by September 2024.