Munish Sood
Mandi
The Zila Parishad election results in Mandi district have delivered a significant political message, with BJP-backed candidates registering a dominant performance across the district and inflicting major setbacks on several prominent Congress leaders and political families.
The elections witnessed a series of high-profile defeats, making it one of the most closely watched local body contests in recent years. BJP-supported candidates secured a decisive advantage across the district’s 36 Zila Parishad constituencies, underlining the party’s strong grassroots presence in a region considered politically crucial to Himachal Pradesh.
One of the biggest upsets came from the Kotli constituency, where Mandi District Congress Committee President Champa Thakur suffered a resounding defeat. BJP-backed candidate Hemlata secured victory by a margin of 2,464 votes, polling 8,659 votes against Champa Thakur’s 6,195.
The loss is particularly significant given Champa Thakur’s political stature. Daughter of former Himachal Pradesh minister Kaul Singh Thakur, she had previously won four consecutive Zila Parishad elections from different constituencies and had also served as Chairperson of the Mandi Zila Parishad. She has additionally contested the Mandi Sadar Assembly seat twice as a Congress candidate.
Another major setback for a prominent political family came in the Tihra constituency of Dharampur Assembly segment, where Vandana Guleria, daughter of former BJP minister Mahender Singh Thakur, was defeated by a narrow margin of 47 votes. The closely contested result led to demands for a recount during the counting process, but the outcome remained unchanged.
The Sari constituency (Ward No. 32), regarded as one of the most keenly contested seats, witnessed a convincing victory for BJP-backed candidate Reena Thakur, who defeated her nearest rival by nearly 1,700 votes.
Congress found limited consolation in Salapad, where Mohit Thakur, nephew of former Congress MLA Sohan Lal Thakur, emerged victorious as a Congress-backed candidate.
Among the most remarkable victories of the election was that of Paras Ram, a grassroots BJP worker and party office volunteer, who defeated a strong Congress-backed candidate by a margin of 1,416 votes to secure a seat in the Zila Parishad. His victory has been widely viewed as a reflection of the BJP’s organizational strength and grassroots connect.
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur’s home turf of Seraj once again emerged as a BJP stronghold. BJP-backed candidates won all four Zila Parishad seats in the constituency with comfortable margins, reinforcing the party’s dominance in the region.
The results also dealt significant blows to Congress in Seraj. Youth Congress General Secretary Tarun Thakur, son of senior Congress leader Chet Ram Thakur, was defeated, while Congress leader Mahender Thakur also failed to secure victory.
Political observers view the Mandi results as particularly significant given the district’s central role in Himachal Pradesh politics. The outcome has highlighted the BJP’s continued strength at the grassroots level while raising concerns for the Congress, which struggled to retain several key strongholds despite fielding candidates from established political families.
At the state level, BJP-backed candidates have also performed strongly in the Zila Parishad elections. Of the 251 Zila Parishad seats across Himachal Pradesh, BJP-supported candidates have secured victories on more than 136 seats, giving the party a clear edge in the local body polls.
The Mandi verdict, marked by the defeat of several high-profile candidates and a sweeping performance by BJP-backed contenders, is likely to be viewed as one of the most politically consequential outcomes of the 2026 local body elections in Himachal Pradesh.
