The Newz Radar
SOLAN: The dramatic turn of events following cross-voting in the Dharamshala mayoral elections held on Saturday (December 2, 2023) has sent shockwaves through the political landscape in Himachal Pradesh, creating ripples that may influence the Solan Municipal Corporation polls for Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s posts scheduled for December 4.
The Congress, which has ruled the Solan civic body for the past two and a half years, now faces uncertainty due to internal conflict within the party. The Congress, currently holding the Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions, is grappling with infighting, raising doubts about the party’s ability to secure victory.
The BJP, sensing an opportunity, has strategically positioned itself in the political battleground, closely monitoring the internal strife within the Congress.
The Solan Municipal Corporation elections have become a matter of prestige for both major political parties, with Poonam Grover, the incumbent Mayor, and certain Congress councillors aligning themselves with the local MLA and state minister Dhani Ram Shandil. To avert potential upsets, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has appointed ministers Harshvardhan Chauhan and Vikramaditya Singh as observers.
In the 17-member Solan MC, the Congress has nine councillors and the BJP seven while one is an independent. As local MLA Shandil too can vote, the Congress is comfortable with 10 seats. The absence of cross-voting ensures a clear path for the Congress to clinch the Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions. However, after the Dharamshala episode, the Congress is strategising to replicate its success and possibly bolster its presence in the Solan Municipal Corporation.
