Shimla, May 31
The Himachal BJP won three of the four municipal corporations, prompting state BJP chief Rajeev Bindal to describe the results as a rejection of the Congress government and an indication of a shifting political sentiment ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. However Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu dismissed the claim, saying municipal corporation polls are driven largely by local issues and leadership and should not be interpreted as a verdict on his government.
The BJP emerged victorious in Mandi, Dharamshala and Solan municipal corporations, while the Congress gained an edge in Palampur.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Bindal said the outcome of the municipal corporation, municipal council and panchayat elections reflected growing dissatisfaction with the Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
“The people have shown the Congress government the mirror,” Bindal said, claiming the results indicated that voters had rejected the state’s policies and governance.
According to BJP figures, the party won 12 of 14 seats in Mandi Municipal Corporation, 11 of 17 seats in Dharamshala and 10 of 17 seats in Solan. While Congress performed better in Palampur, Bindal said the BJP had improved its performance there compared with the previous election.
The BJP leader also referred to results from earlier urban local body elections held on 17 May, claiming that BJP-backed candidates secured victories in 18 of 25 municipal councils and 12 of 22 municipal panchayats.
He dismissed Congress claims of success in those elections, arguing that the party had not officially fielded candidates in many contests and therefore could not credibly claim victory.
Bindal further alleged that the Congress government was attempting to alter rules governing the election of municipal chairpersons and vice-chairpersons for political gain. He described the amendments as unconstitutional and said the BJP would challenge them both politically and legally.
The BJP also claimed strong performance in panchayat elections, with Bindal stating that BJP-backed candidates had won around 2,780 panchayat pradhan posts across the state.
He attributed the results to public anger over unemployment, unfulfilled promises, employee-related issues and law-and-order concerns.
Sukhu said Congress-backed candidates had performed strongly in panchayat elections, claiming victories in around 2,400 pradhan positions across Himachal Pradesh.
“Local body elections are fought on local issues and the image of local representatives,” Sukhu said, adding that he had personal experience of contesting such elections and understood their dynamics.
The chief minister said that victories in Mandi and Dharamshala were influenced significantly by local legislators, including BJP leaders Anil Sharma and Sudhir Sharma, rather than reflecting a statewide political trend.
He maintained that district council elections, which cover a much larger geographical area, would provide a more accurate picture of public opinion across the state.
Sukhu also accused BJP leaders of drawing premature conclusions from incomplete election results and expressed confidence that Congress would emerge stronger once all results were declared.
