IN A major jolt to the Congress, the BJP won Mandi, Dharamshala and Solan municipal corporation elections, while the ruling party managed to retain its mandate in the Palampur civic body. The BJP termed the election outcome a “public referendum” in favour of the party. However, Congress leader Naresh Chauhan said the polls involving about 15 per cent of the state’s electorate can not determine the broader public mandate. The elections to the four urban local bodies were held on May 17, and the results were declared on Sunday. The contest assumes significance as Himachal Pradesh is headed for Assembly polls due in 2027. The BJP retained the Mandi Municipal Corporation and wrested the Dharamshala and Solan Municipal Corporations from Congress. Polling was held for a total of 63 seats, and the BJP and Congress bagged 37 and 23 seats respectively in the contest.

 

Three seats went to Independent candidates. Elections were not held in Mandi’s Behna ward as no candidate remained in the fray. The BJP won 12 seats in Mandi, Congress won only one seat, while one seat went to an Independent candidate. In Solan, where pollsters were predicting a tough contest, the BJP managed to win 10 out of 17 seats, followed by Congress with six seats, and one seat was bagged by an Independent. In the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation, BJP won 11 seats, Congress won five seats, while one seat went to an Independent. The Congress emerged victorious in Palampur, retaking control by winning 11 out of 15 wards, while the BJP scored victory in four seats. Polling was held for 17 wards in Dharamshala and Solan Municipal Corporations each and 15 wards of Mandi and Palampur. The highest polling of 68.97 per cent was recorded in Palampur, followed by 66.78 per cent in Mandi, 60.01 per cent in Dharamshala and 58.32 per cent in Solan.