CHANDIGARH: In a major political setback for the ruling Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won three of the four Municipal Corporations in Himachal Pradesh, the results of which were declared on Sunday.
The BJP emerged victorious in Mandi, Dharamshala and Solan Municipal Corporations, while the Congress managed to retain only the Palampur Municipal Corporation. The outcome is being viewed as a significant morale booster for the saffron party and a strengthening of the opposition's position in the state. For the ruling Congress, the results have triggered introspection and are being seen as an early indicator of the political mood ahead of the next Assembly elections.
The BJP registered a landslide victory in the Mandi Municipal Corporation, winning 12 of the 14 wards and retaining control of the civic body for a second consecutive term. The Congress could secure only one ward, while Congress rebel-turned-Independent Alaknanda Handa won from Ward No. 1 (Khaliyar). Polling was not held in Behna ward after residents boycotted the election over local issues. The BJP improved its tally from 11 wards in the previous election to 12 this time.
Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur joined party workers in celebrating the victory and termed the result an endorsement of the BJP's development agenda. "Chief Minister Sukhu tried his level best to woo the voters in these polls by making tall promises but the public rejected them.’’
The BJP also secured victory in the Solan Municipal Corporation, winning 10 wards, while the Congress won six wards and an Independent candidate secured one seat. The result is being seen as a boost for Himachal BJP president Dr Rajeev Bindal, who hails from the district and enjoys considerable influence there. At the same time, the Congress defeat is being viewed as an embarrassment for Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, the sitting MLA from Solan.
Reacting to the results, Bindal said the outcome reflected public rejection of the Sukhu government and predicted that the Congress would be voted out of power in the next Assembly election. Referring to the urban local body elections, he said BJP-backed candidates had won 18 of the 25 municipal councils. In the 22 nagar panchayats, he said, BJP-supported candidates emerged victorious in 12. "People of Himachal have voted against the misrule of the Congress government. The anti-youth, anti-women and anti-farmer policies of the government have been rejected by the electorate,’’ he added.
The BJP also won the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation, securing 11 wards in the 17-member civic body. The Congress won five wards, while one seat went to an Independent candidate. The result is expected to strengthen the position of BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma, who had crossed over from the Congress to the BJP following the Rajya Sabha election controversy in 2024 and subsequently retained the Dharamshala Assembly seat in the bypoll.
The lone consolation for the Congress came from Palampur, where the party retained control of the Municipal Corporation for a second consecutive term by winning 11 of the 15 wards. The BJP managed only four seats despite mounting an aggressive campaign in what is considered one of its traditional strongholds in the hill state.
Speaking after the victory, Palampur MLA Ashish Butail said that the results demonstrated the people’s faith in the Congress party’s development-oriented approach. He credited the victory to the sustained efforts of elected representatives and party workers in addressing local issues and improving civic amenities. Butail assured residents that development projects already underway would be accelerated and that new initiatives would be undertaken to meet the growing needs of the town.
A senior Congress leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that the results were a major setback for the ruling party. He pointed out that when the BJP was in power in the state, the Congress had managed to win two of the four Municipal Corporations — Solan and Palampur.
Polling for 64 wards across the Municipal Corporations of Mandi, Dharamshala, Palampur and Solan was held on May 17. The elections were conducted on party symbols.