Shimla, May 18
Following the declaration of results for municipal council and nagar panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh, both the BJP and Congress have claimed victory in the civic body polls. However, Himachal Pradesh Congress Organisation General Secretary Vinod Jinta asserted that the Congress secured a clear majority across the state and accused the BJP of presenting misleading figures.
Jinta claimed that, out of 47 municipal councils and nagar panchayats where elections were held, the Congress won support in 31 bodies, while the BJP won in only 16 or 17 civic bodies. He said the election outcome reflected strong public support for the Congress government in the state.
According to Jinta, the Congress registered a complete victory in Chamba district, winning all municipal councils and nagar panchayats, while the BJP failed to open its account there. He also claimed that in the Kangra district, the Congress received overwhelming support in six civic bodies, while the BJP could not secure a victory.
The Congress leader further stated that the party secured victories in two civic bodies in Hamirpur and gained a majority in five of the nine civic bodies in Shimla district. He said the Congress, along with its alliance partners, would form the leadership of two additional civic bodies in Shimla.
In Sirmaur district, Jinta said Congress won two civic bodies while the BJP secured one. In the Solan district, he claimed the BJP won two seats, while independent candidates received support in two others.
Jinta also expressed confidence that Congress would perform strongly in the upcoming municipal corporation elections and challenged the BJP to hold an open debate over the civic poll results. He described the elections as a “semifinal” before the 2027 Assembly polls and said the Congress was confident of returning to power in the state.
