Dharamshala, May 2
Candidates across political parties and independents turned out in large numbers on Saturday, the final day of filing nominations for the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation elections, with both the BJP and Congress expressing confidence of victory across wards.
Supporters accompanied candidates in strength as nominations were filed, while independent contenders also mobilized crowds to demonstrate their presence. The municipal corporation has 17 wards.
The BJP had announced candidates for all 17 wards in a single list, while the Congress released its candidates in three phases. The party first declared eight names, then seven, and finalized the candidates for wards 9 and 13 on the last day of nominations.
Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma said the BJP has fielded several young and new faces in the elections and expressed confidence of securing a clear majority. Referring to the past decade of municipal governance, he said there is visible public dissatisfaction over incomplete development works. On the former mayor and deputy mayor contesting as independents after being denied party tickets, Sharma questioned their contribution to the city during their tenure and said the party would work unitedly for all its candidates.
Congress leader Devendra Jaggi said that with five candidates filing nominations on Saturday, the party has completed its slate for all 17 wards. He said Congress is contesting the elections with a focus on development and public trust. Addressing concerns raised by the Valmiki community in ward 7, Jaggi said the issue would be resolved through discussions. He added that Savita Karki opted out of contesting from ward 13 due to health reasons, leading to the selection of Sandeep Bains, while Sumit has been fielded from ward 9.
With nominations now complete, political activity is set to intensify as parties prepare for the upcoming civic polls.
