Dharamshala, Solan Polls Postponed
Munish Sood
Mandi
Himachal Pradesh’s four Municipal Corporations witnessed a mix of decisive victories and political deadlock on Monday as mayoral and deputy mayoral elections concluded in Mandi and Palampur, while the polls in Dharamshala and Solan were postponed due to lack of quorum.
The day began with oath-taking ceremonies for newly elected councillors in all four Municipal Corporations before the election process for Mayor and Deputy Mayor commenced.
BJP Sweeps Mandi Municipal Corporation
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a comprehensive victory in the Mandi Municipal Corporation, with Suman Thakur being elected Mayor and Jitendra Sharma (Johnny) elected Deputy Mayor.
The election process concluded peacefully following the swearing-in of the newly elected councillors. Jubilant party workers and supporters celebrated the victory with drumbeats and traditional festivities outside the Municipal Corporation office.
Soon after assuming office, the newly elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor outlined their priorities, pledging to accelerate the city’s planned development and improve civic amenities.
“We are grateful to the people of Mandi for placing their trust in us. We will work to ensure planned urban development, improved sanitation, better roads, uninterrupted drinking water supply and prompt resolution of public grievances,” Mayor Suman Thakur said.
Deputy Mayor Jitendra Sharma assured that the new leadership would work collectively to deliver transparent and people-centric governance.
Congress Retains Palampur
The Congress retained control of the Palampur Municipal Corporation with Radha Sood being elected Mayor and Neelam Malik unanimously chosen as Deputy Mayor.
All 15 councillors participated in the proceedings after taking the oath of office administered by Additional Deputy Commissioner Vinay Kumar.
Several senior Congress leaders, including MLA Ashish Butail and veteran leader BBL Butail, attended the ceremony along with party workers and supporters.
The unanimous election reaffirmed Congress’ strong position in the Palampur Municipal Corporation.
Dharamshala Poll Deferred After Quorum Falls Short
The election for Mayor and Deputy Mayor in Dharamshala Municipal Corporation could not be completed after the required quorum was not met.
All 17 newly elected councillors were administered the oath of office at the Mini Secretariat auditorium. However, soon after the ceremony, Congress councillors walked out before the election process concluded, leaving only BJP councillors inside the hall.
As the mandatory quorum was not fulfilled, the election was postponed. A fresh special meeting has now been scheduled for July 1, when the election process will be conducted again.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, Municipal Commissioner Zafar Iqbal and SDM Mohit Rattan.
The ceremony also witnessed unique moments as Ward No. 15 councillor Praveen Kumar took his oath in Sanskrit, while councillors Meena and Praveen Kumar arrived dressed in traditional Himachali attire.
Solan Polls Also Adjourned
A similar situation unfolded in Solan Municipal Corporation, where the election for Mayor and Deputy Mayor was deferred after the quorum could not be achieved.
Following the oath-taking ceremony, Congress councillors reportedly did not participate in the election proceedings, resulting in the postponement of the voting process.
The election has now been rescheduled for July 2 at 3:00 PM.
The 17-member Solan Municipal Corporation comprises ten BJP councillors, six Congress councillors and one Independent.
Political Blame Game Begins
The postponement of elections in Dharamshala and Solan triggered a political confrontation between the BJP and Congress.
Himachal Pradesh BJP president Rajeev Bindal accused the Congress of attempting to delay the democratic process by avoiding the mayoral elections. The Congress, however, maintained that its decisions were part of its political strategy.
While Mandi and Palampur have successfully elected their new civic leadership, all eyes are now on the special meetings in Dharamshala and Solan, where the remaining mayoral elections are expected to conclude later this week.
