Himachal Municipal poll results: BJP wins Mandi, Dharamsala, Solan; Cong gets only Palampur

Shimla: The principal Opposition BJP in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday won three out of four Municipal Corporations — Mandi, Dharamsala and Solan — while the ruling Congress managed to win Palampur alone.

The polling for the four corporations was held on May 17 on party symbols with a straight contest between the BJP and Congress.

Besides the Municipal Corporations, counting of votes for 250 Zila Parishad wards and 1,684 out of 1,769 Panchayat Samiti members is also underway.

Out of the 17 seats, the BJP secured wins in 11 seats, while Congress was restricted to just five seats, with an Independent winning one seat.

The BJP secured a resounding victory in Mandi by winning 12 wards, while Congress and an Independent secured one ward each.

Polling in one ward was boycotted by the electorate over unresolved civic issues.

In Mandi, it was a high-stakes battle for former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, whose home district is Mandi. In the 2021 elections, when he was Chief Minister, the BJP secured 11 wards, while the Congress got four.

In Solan, the BJP won six of the eight wards. The Congress and an Independent each won one seat.

Of the 10 wards where results were announced in Palampur, the Congress won nine wards.

Among the prominent winners in a 17-member civic body in Dharamsala was outgoing Congress Mayor Neenu Sharma, who retained her ward. However, Congress faced setbacks in other wards as BJP candidates secured comfortable wins.

Expressing gratitude to the voters, BJP legislator from Dharamsala, Sudhir Sharma, a Congress rebel, told the media that the results gave clear evidence of the public’s resentment against the Congress government and their growing confidence in the BJP.

“These results clearly demonstrate that the public has delivered a mandate in favour of the BJP and against the Congress,” Sharma told IANS.

He said the Congress government, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, has done nothing over the past four years but caused dissent among the people of the state.

“The government has completely failed to address the grievances of employees, the youth, women, traders, and the common people. This very public discontent is now clearly reflected in today’s election results,” an elated Sharma said.

He said the people of Dharamsala have placed their faith in development, good governance, and politics centred on public welfare. “This victory serves as a public endorsement of the developmental initiatives, pro-poor welfare schemes, and strong leadership being demonstrated across the country under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The public has once again reaffirmed its trust in Prime Minister Modi’s policies and the BJP’s style of functioning,” he added.

The municipal corporation elections were held on May 17. The municipal corporations registered a lower overall turnout of 63.44 per cent. Out of 1,31,369 voters in the corporations, 83,342 voters cast their votes. Among municipal corporations, Mandi recorded the highest polling percentage at 68.78 per cent, while Kangra registered 63.72 per cent turnout, and Solan saw the lowest participation among the corporations at 58.32 per cent. In Dharamsala Municipal Corporation, the polling percentage was 60 per cent.

IANS