The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions in the Solan Municipal Corporation (MC) on Thursday, defeating the Congress by an 11-7 margin in the elections. Sushma Sharma, a four-term councillor, was elected Mayor after defeating Congress candidate Minakshi Sharma by 11-7 votes. Independent councillor Gaurav Rajput, backed by the BJP, won the Deputy Mayor post by defeating Congress candidate Narinder Kumar with the same margin.
Congress Fails to Capitalise on MLA Support
The Congress could not benefit from the vote of local MLA and Health and Family Welfare Minister DR Shandil, managing only seven votes. The BJP had won 10 of the 17 MC seats, while the Congress secured six. The lone independent councillor, Gaurav Rajput, later extended support to the BJP.
Coordination Lapses Hurt Congress
Lack of coordination within the Congress camp proved costly as the party failed to secure Rajput’s support. Two Congress councillors were reportedly unwilling to back his demand for the Mayor’s post. The BJP moved quickly to consolidate support by offering Rajput the Deputy Mayor’s post.
BJP’s Strategic Calculations
The BJP also factored in the possibility of disqualification proceedings against two of its councillors over alleged encroachment on government land, which could have reduced its effective strength to eight and made independent support crucial for a majority. Although the Deputy Commissioner, Solan, submitted a report on June 27 regarding alleged encroachment by relatives of two BJP councillors, no action has yet been taken by the Divisional Commissioner.
Congress Attempts to Alter Voting Procedures
The Congress had sought to change procedural arrangements ahead of the election, including a notification regarding voting procedures in the presence of a political observer, in an attempt to encourage cross-voting from disgruntled BJP councillors opposed to Sushma Sharma’s candidature. It also moved to appoint the Divisional Commissioner as the authority for deciding disqualification cases of councillors ahead of the mayoral election. However, these efforts did not alter the outcome.
