The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, faces criticism from the opposition BJP over its decision to postpone local body elections and extend the terms of Shimla's Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The BJP accuses the government of avoiding democratic processes due to declining popularity. On October 25, the state Cabinet approved extending the tenure of Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan and Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal from two-and-a-half years to five years. The government also decided to defer gram panchayat elections originally scheduled for January 2026, citing disaster management priorities following floods. Additionally, over 100 gram panchayats were approved for reorganisation. Congress ministers defend these moves, stating that natural disasters caused damage worth Rs 6,000 crore to infrastructure, making rehabilitation and connectivity restoration the immediate priority. They insist elections will be held within the next two to three months.
Political Row Over Extended Mayoral Terms and Deferred Elections
The BJP strongly criticised the Sukhu government's administrative decisions, calling them politically motivated attempts to avoid elections. Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur claimed the government's popularity is declining and its guarantees have proven to be false promises. National spokesperson Randhir Sharma alleged the Congress is strengthening its grip on local bodies before polls through these decisions. However, Congress minister Rohit Thakur rejected these allegations as baseless, emphasising that natural disasters caused infrastructure damage worth Rs 6,000 crore. State Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan defended the extended mayoral terms as necessary for political stability, arguing that elections every two-and-a-half years encouraged instability and opportunistic shifts in municipal governance through horsetrading.
Source: Link