NEW DELHI – Polling of votes began in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, according to a local government official.

Voting will continue till 6:00 pm local time in as many as 24 Assembly constituencies during the first phase. There are total 90 Assembly constituencies in the area, the official confirmed to Xinhua over phone.

People holding voter identity cards were seen standing in long queues waiting for their turn to cast a vote.

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Assembly elections were being held in the area after a gap of ten years.

Quoting official figures, an online media report by the Hindustan Times said that over 2.3 million electors were eligible to cast votes across seven districts.

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Out of the 24 Assembly constituencies going to vote on Wednesday, eight were in three districts of the Jammu region – Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar – and 16 in four districts of Kashmir – Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam.