HPCM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claimed Congress had an edge in Kangra. Bindal claims edge in Nahan and other places.
SHIMLA/DHARAMSHALA: The political slugfest over Himachal Pradesh urban local body results intensified on Sunday with both the ruling Congress and opposition BJP trying to project the outcome of the 47 urban local bodies (ULBs) as a mandate in their favour, despite the fact that most municipal council and nagar panchayat elections were not fought on party symbols.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu claimed that people of Kangra district had “once again stamped the politics of development, trust and public service” after Congress-backed candidates secured victories in five out of six urban bodies in the district, including Dehra, Nurpur, Kangra, Jawalamukhi and Shahpur.
He described the results as a rejection of BJP’s “politics of lies” and credited Congress welfare policies and grassroots workers for the outcome.
In response, Himachal BJP president Rajiv Bindal asserted that BJP-backed candidates had “shown the door to Congress” in Nahan by winning seven out of 13 wards.
Rajeev Bindal claimed that BJP -supported candidates won in 18 out of 25 Municipal Councils and in 12 out of 22 Nagar Panchayats across the state.
Dr Bindal termed the results as a clear mandate against the Congress government, claiming that urban Himachal had voted in favour of the BJP.
Similar claims and counter-claims flooded in from Mandi, Hamirpur, Una, Bilaspur, Kullu and other districts as both parties attempted to politically appropriate independent winners.
The irony, however, was hard to miss. Out of the 51 ULBs that went to polls, only four municipal corporations — Mandi, Dharamshala, Solan and Palampur — were officially contested on party symbols.
The remaining 47 municipal councils and nagar panchayats were technically non-party elections, yet candidates began acquiring political colours the moment counting trends emerged.
Across the state, Congress leaders claimed that the party had gained an upper hand in Kangra, parts of Una and sections of Shimla district, while BJP leaders projected leads in urban pockets of Sirmaur, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and upper Himachal.
In Mandi and Kullu districts, both parties claimed support from victorious independents, exposing how local body politics in Himachal often operates through unofficial party lines rather than formal symbols.
Political observers point out that the results have once again highlighted the contradiction in Himachal’s civic elections — officially “non-party” in structure but deeply party-driven in campaigning, funding, booth management and post-result narratives. Senior Congress and BJP leaders, including ministers, MLAs and organisational teams, had campaigned aggressively across districts, turning the civic polls into a prestige battle and a semi-final before the 2027 Assembly elections.
Adding to the drama was the strong rebel factor. Both Congress and BJP faced rebellion in several urban bodies, particularly in Mandi, Solan and Dharamshala regions, where disgruntled leaders contested as independents after being denied backing by their respective camps.
While both parties are now busy projecting selective victories as proof of public endorsement, the larger picture remains fragmented.
The final political scorecard across the 51 ULBs is far from a clear Congress-versus-BJP verdict because a substantial number of winning candidates officially entered the fray as independents.
Yet, in Himachal’s familiar political tradition, almost every winner is now being rapidly claimed either under the Congress hand or the BJP lotus.
