The ruling Congress party underestimated its own performance, while the opposition BJP appeared overconfident in the run-up to the urban local body elections in Himachal Pradesh, with the results shedding considerable light on the political situation in the state.
The Congress party, which refused to release an official list of candidates for the urban local body elections on May 17, stating that the elections were not being contested on party symbols, was quick to claim that Congress-backed candidates won in 32 out of 47 municipal bodies across the state.
The BJP, which had declared the list of party candidates for the municipal body elections, countered by claiming that it had created a new milestone in Himachal by winning 120 out of 229 Municipal Council seats. However, there is no denying that the opposition party fell short of its own expectations.
On the face of it, the BJP believed it would make a clean sweep in several districts, including Kangra, amid talks of anti-incumbency against the Congress government in Himachal ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. However, the results did not match the expectations. Within the BJP, there is now growing discussion that the results are an alarm for the party that it needs to strengthen its grassroots work.
“We have done well, but not to our own expectations,” shared a BJP leader, indicating that the party would analyse municipal body results across different regions keeping in view the larger target of the upcoming Assembly elections. He, however, seemed positive about the results of the four Municipal Corporations in Himachal Pradesh, which are scheduled to be declared on May 31.
Some Congress leaders in a hushed tone said, “We did not expect this outcome. We lost in areas where we believed we were strong and won in places that were not on our priority list.” Party sources said apprehensions over possible anti-incumbency, which usually gains momentum by this time of any government’s tenure, prompted the Congress to avoid releasing an official candidate list for the urban local body elections.
The ruling Congress-backed candidates unexpectedly did well in the Kangra district, as well as in parts of Mandi, Sirmaur and Shimla, regions where the BJP had anticipated stronger results. Congress-backed candidates registered strong performances in Dehra, the constituency represented by Chief Minister’s wife Kamlesh Thakur, along with Shahpur, Nurpur and several other municipal bodies in the district, which is politically significant during Assembly elections. The party also remained neck and neck with the BJP in the Nahan municipal body, located in the constituency from where state BJP chief Dr Rajeev Bindal, who lost the last Assembly election, is expected to contest again.
The BJP surprisingly wiped out Congress in Manali and Sundernagar and got a clear edge in Rampur Bushahr, the home town of PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh. The party also did well in Haroli, the constituency of deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri.
“The Congress-supported candidates received widespread public support across all districts of the state. This trust inspires the Congress government to work with even greater dedication, commitment and responsibility. The Congress party has fulfilled all promises made during the 2022 Assembly elections and has gone beyond its guarantees in delivering commitments,” Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said.
State BJP chief Dr Rajeev Bindal said the BJP recorded a historic victory in the urban local body polls and described the mandate as a referendum against the failures, false guarantees and anti-people policies of the Congress government.
“The biggest irony is that the Congress party, which did not even release an official list of its candidates during the elections, is now claiming victory. This is laughable,” he said, adding that the BJP had treated all candidates supported by Congress as official rivals and presented its assessment to the public based on ground realities.
Political observers note that municipal body elections are largely local in nature and may not fully reflect trends for Assembly elections. However, they do provide important signals, as candidates typically contest with clear backing from local political leadership.
All eyes are now set on the Panchayati Raj institution polls in Himachal Pradesh scheduled for May 26, 28 and 30. Though these elections are not fought on party symbols, candidates are openly supported by political parties in the state. Meanwhile, the results of the four Municipal Corporations, Mandi, Solan, Dharamshala and Palampur, where elections were held on party symbols on May 17, will be declared on May 31 and are generally viewed as a direct reflection of the performance of sitting MLAs.
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