The Budget session of the Municipal Corporation Shimla began on a stormy note on Friday, as BJP councillors staged a walkout while Mayor Surinder Chauhan was presenting the Budget for the financial year 2026–27. Soon after the mayor commenced his speech, BJP members interrupted the proceedings, voicing strong objections to his continuation in office and questioning the legitimacy of his tenure in the absence of an official government notification regarding the extension.
The controversy stems from a 2025 decision of the Himachal Pradesh government to extend the terms of the mayor and deputy mayor from two-and-a-half-years to five years. Earlier, these posts were filled according to a reservation roster. On February 16, 2026, the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Amendment Bill again to formalise the extension.
The Bill replaced an ordinance approved in December 2025 that had been returned by the Governor for reconsideration, but the Assembly subsequently cleared it again in its original form.
During the mayor’s address, BJP councillors termed the Budget ‘invalid’, arguing that Surinder Chauhan lacked the authority to present it without a formal notification confirming his extended tenure. They demanded his resignation on moral grounds.
Speaking to the media after the walkout, BJP councillor Saroj Thakur said according to the reservation roster, the post of mayor should have been held by a woman. However, she alleged that Chauhan continued in office despite the absence of a government notification.
She further criticised the Budget as disappointing, claiming that the corporation was already burdened with debt and had limited revenue sources, and questioned the rationale behind presenting such a financial plan.
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