The Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government’s move to defer local body polls in Himachal Pradesh and extend the tenures of the Shimla Mayor and Deputy Mayor – both seen as Chief Minister Sukhu’s close aides – has come under fire from the Opposition BJP.
“Panchayat elections will definitely be held. The immediate focus of the government is disaster management and rehabilitation of families affected by floods,” CM Sukhu had said on October 10.
Before deciding to postpone the gram panchayat elections scheduled for January 2026, the Sukhu dispensation effected sweeping administrative changes.
The Sukhu Cabinet, at its meeting on October 25, approved the proposal to extend the tenures of Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan, a Congress councillor from the Chhota Shimla ward, and Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal from two-and-a-half years to five years. Citing proposals from residents seeking to shift their votes to other villages, the Cabinet also approved the reorganisation of over 100 gram panchayats.
Last November, the government had given its nod to upgrade 14 gram panchayats to nagar panchayats and elevate the municipal councils of Baddi, Una and Hamirpur to municipal corporations.
The BJP has criticised these moves, accusing the Congress government of “evading democratic processes and running away from elections”. “The Sukhu government knows that its popularity is dwindling with each passing day. Its tall guarantees have turned out to be nothing but fake promises,” said Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and ex-Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur.
The BJP’s national spokesperson Randhir Sharma alleged that the Congress was “trying to strengthen its hold on local bodies before polls” through these “politically motivated” decisions.
Congress minister Rohit Thakur rejected the BJP’s allegations as baseless. “Like in 2023, natural disasters have wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh, causing damage to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore to the state’s infrastructure. The government’s priority is to restore connectivity. It is not running away from local body polls. They have only been deferred and will be held in the next two to three months,” he said.
State Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan argued that extending the tenures of Surinder Chauhan and Kaushal provided “political stability.” “This was done to prevent horsetrading. Elections every two-and-a-half years encouraged opportunistic shifts and instability in municipal governance,” he claimed.
The Shimla Municipal Corporation elections were last held in May 2023, with the next polls due in May 2028. The elections to the municipal corporations of Solan, Palampur, Mandi and Dharamshala were held in April 2021. Himachal has eight municipal corporations — Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Palampur, Dharamshala, Baddi, Una and Hamirpur.
Panchayat polls were last held in the state in January 2021 when 3,586 of the state’s 3,615 gram panchayats, 81 panchayat samitis, 1,644 wards and 239 zilla parishad wards went to the polls.