From devastating cloudbursts and financial stress to political unrest and rising law-and-order concerns, 2025 proved to be one of the most testing years for Himachal Pradesh. Repeated natural disasters caused widespread damage and emotional trauma, while economic stress, administrative controversies and social unrest kept the hill state on edge, making the year marked by distress, discord and hard lessons.
Monsoon devastation
The monsoon season brought back painful memories of last years. Landslides, road blockages and flash floods disrupted life in several districts, including Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Solan. Though the scale of destruction was lower than the catastrophic floods of 2023, damaged roads and fragile slopes highlighted how unprepared the state remains for extreme weather events. By the end of the year, losses were estimated at around ₹5,000 crore. The disasters also claimed at least 240 lives.
Centre–state blame game on relief
The scale of the destruction drew the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He visited the affected districts and announced a relief package of Rs 1,500 crore. However, political sparring followed soon after. The Congress government accused the Central government of not releasing the promised relief funds. The BJP rejected the charge and said the state government had failed to meet people’s expectations.
Financial crisis tightens grip
The BJP alleged that Himachal’s rising debt had left the government struggling to pay salaries and pensions on time. The charge appeared to hold weight when the government deferred enhanced salaries and allowances for serving and former legislators. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu later admitted that the state’s financial situation was unlikely to improve before next year.
Mystery death rocks the state
In March, the mysterious death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) General Manager-cum-Chief Engineer Vimal Negi shook the state.
Negi went missing on March 10, and his body was recovered from the Bhakra reservoir on March 18. A Special Investigation Team was formed to probe the case, but Negi’s family moved the high court seeking a CBI investigation. Tensions rose when the family refused to cremate his body and sought action against Negi’s seniors in HPPCL. Serious allegations surfaced, including claims of evidence tampering and pressure on Negi to favour a private firm.
The controversy intensified further with public exchanges between former DGP Atul Verma and Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi over how the investigation was handled.
Congress struggles, BJP consolidates
For most of the year, the Congress functioned without a formal organisational set-up. All party units were dissolved, and only state chief Pratibha Singh continued in her post. Former deputy speaker Vinay Kumar was appointed the state Congress president in November. However, the party is still to finalise its state executive as well as district and mandal units. The BJP, meanwhile, re-elected Dr Rajiv Bindal as its state president for a third term in June.
BJP embarrassed by legal cases
The arrest of Ram Kumar Bindal, brother of BJP state chief Rajiv Bindal, in a rape case, and the booking of BJP MLA Hans Raj under the POCSO Act caused embarrassment to the party. The BJP alleged selective targeting of its leaders and cited FIRs against three Independents and six Congress rebels—who later joined the BJP after voting against their party in the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections—as misuse of legal machinery.
Law and order challenges
The state grappled with a spate of bomb hoaxes threatening courts, hospitals and schools. Shooting incidents also increased, including one in which former Congress MLA Bamber Thakur was injured. Road safety continued to be a serious issue. During the year, 646 people died in 1,585 accidents, and 2,420 others were hurt. By October 31, 2025, police had registered 71 murder cases, 74 attempted murders, 1,781 drug-related cases, 336 rape cases, and 445 molestation cases. There were also 496 cases of abduction and kidnapping. The abduction of three students from a well-known boarding school in Shimla by an older student shocked the state capital and sparked widespread discussion.
Polls deferred amid disaster
Urban Local Body and Panchayat elections were deferred as the Disaster Management Act remained in force across the hill state.
Sanjauli mosque row simmers
Communal tensions simmered over the Sanjauli Mosque issue in Shimla, with repeated protests by right-wing groups demanding its demolition. Acting on court orders, three storeys of the structure were eventually demolished.
War on ‘chitta’ continues
The menace of ‘chitta’ continued to haunt residents as drug abuse tightened its grip on a significant section of the youth. The government launched an intensified crackdown against the synthetic drug, calling it a war to save the younger generation.
Raj Bhavan vs government
The year also saw frequent confrontations between the Governor and the elected government over issues such as the appointment of vice-chancellors and delays in granting assent to bills passed by the Vidhan Sabha.
Doctors’ protest ends the year
The year ended on a tense note with senior resident doctors going on mass leave and threatening a strike after a doctor was terminated following a physical altercation with a patient at IGMC Shimla.
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