Jairam Thakur demands Shimla Zila Parishad Chair/Vice-Chair elections within two days.
Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur launched a sharp attack on the Congress government, accusing it of weakening democratic institutions, disrespecting the people’s mandate, and misusing the administrative machinery for political purposes. He said the government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is no longer afraid of the Opposition but of the verdict of the people. According to him, the results of the Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections clearly indicate that the people of Himachal Pradesh have turned against the Congress government, which is why it repeatedly attempted to obstruct the electoral process.
Jairam Thakur stated that the tenure of Panchayati Raj Institutions ended on January 22, 2026. As per the Constitution and the spirit of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, elections should have been conducted immediately after completing the required procedures such as delimitation. However, he alleged that the Congress government deliberately adopted a strategy to postpone the elections. The government initially invoked the Disaster Act to defer the polls. When the BJP approached the High Court, the Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the government to conduct the elections. The state government then moved the Supreme Court, but even the apex court ordered that the elections be held within the stipulated timeframe. Ultimately, the government was forced to conduct the elections.
The Leader of Opposition said the Chief Minister had anticipated that the results would go against the Congress, and that apprehension proved correct. The outcomes of the Panchayat, Block Samiti, Urban Local Body, and Zila Parishad elections clearly demonstrated that the people had rejected the Congress government’s anti-people policies. He pointed out that in 10 out of Himachal Pradesh’s 12 districts, the process for electing Zila Parishad Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons has been completed, and in 9 of those districts the Congress could not even field candidates, resulting in BJP-supported candidates being elected unopposed. He further claimed that nearly 70 percent of Gram Panchayat Pradhans elected across the state are BJP-supported. Similarly, the BJP secured major victories in Urban Local Bodies, including Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, and Nagar Panchayats. In Dharamshala, Mandi, and Solan Municipal Corporations, the BJP won the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, reflecting the people’s clear preference.
Jairam Thakur alleged that despite the election results, the government is unwilling to accept the public mandate. He accused the state government of amending Panchayati Raj Rules to indefinitely delay the elections for Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons. Earlier, the rules mandated that these elections be held within seven days of the declaration of results. However, through a notification issued on April 18, 2026, the government amended the rules. He referred to the recent Himachal Pradesh High Court judgment in the Indora Block Samiti case, where the Court categorically held that no authority has the power to postpone such elections indefinitely, as the parent Act contains no such provision.
Jairam Thakur stated that the Shimla Zila Parishad has 25 elected members, of whom 13 are BJP-supported, while additional elected members are also supporting the BJP. Despite this, the government has yet to announce the election schedule for the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. He alleged that the administration is functioning under political pressure from the Chief Minister and is deliberately attempting to suppress the democratic mandate.
In a strongly worded statement, he said, “The Deputy Commissioner’s office cannot be turned into a Congress Party office.” He said that despite trying to contact the Deputy Commissioner of Shimla for the past three days, he had not even been able to speak to him. He described the situation as extremely unfortunate, stating that civil servants are expected to uphold the Constitution and the law rather than protect the interests of any political party. If officials succumb to political pressure, public faith in democratic institutions will be severely undermined.
Jairam Thakur warned that if the election date for the Shimla Zila Parishad Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson is not announced within the next two days, all BJP-supported elected members will approach the High Court. If the authorities still fail to conduct the elections, the BJP will launch a democratic protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office. He made it clear that any law-and-order situation arising from such circumstances would be the sole responsibility of the Chief Minister and the state administration.
The Leader of Opposition also accused the Congress government of intensifying its campaign of political vendetta. He alleged that false criminal cases are being registered one after another against BJP MLAs, former MLAs, Zila Parishad members, senior leaders, and party workers. He claimed that another BJP leader had recently been booked and that preparations were underway to file cases against several more BJP leaders. According to him, having failed to politically challenge the BJP, the Congress government is now misusing the police and administrative machinery to silence the Opposition.
He asserted that the BJP would neither be intimidated by false FIRs nor by administrative pressure. The party, he said, would continue to raise the voice of the people through constitutional and democratic means. The verdict delivered by the people in the Panchayat and Urban Local Body elections, he added, is only the beginning, and in the 2027 Assembly elections, the people of Himachal Pradesh will decisively vote the Congress government out of power.
Concluding his address, Jairam Thakur expressed deep grief over the tragic bus accident near Isa in Chamba district. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, wished a speedy recovery to the injured, and urged the state government to ensure the best possible medical treatment and all necessary assistance to the affected families.
