The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh has expressed relief after the state High Court issued a stay order on the electoral rights of local Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to vote in the elections for president and vice-president of municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
Significance of the Court Order
The ruling is particularly crucial for the BJP, as the party does not have a single MLA in any of the five Assembly segments of Solan district, which include Kasauli, Solan, Arki, Doon, and Nalagarh. Had the court not intervened, the clarification issued by the state government in 2023—granting MLAs voting rights in civic bodies—would have allowed Congress MLAs to cast an additional vote, potentially helping Congress-backed candidates secure the top posts.
Impact on Civic Body Elections
BJP-supported candidates have swept all civic body polls across Solan district. They are now preparing to elevate their candidates as president and vice-president. In the recently concluded elections, BJP-backed candidates won 16 seats, while Congress-backed candidates secured only eight seats in the Arki, Parwanoo, and Nalagarh municipal councils, as well as the Kandaghat Nagar Panchayat. One seat was won by an independent candidate.
The situation was particularly challenging in Arki and Parwanoo municipal councils, where the difference in seats between the two parties was just one. In Arki, BJP-supported candidates won four seats, while Congress-backed candidates secured three. Similarly, in Parwanoo, BJP-supported candidates won five seats against four for Congress. Both these civic bodies were previously held by Congress-backed candidates in the outgoing house.
In contrast, BJP-backed candidates won with a clear majority in Nalagarh Municipal Council and Kandaghat Nagar Panchayat, where Congress MLAs Hardeep Bawa and D.R. Shandil failed to mount a formidable challenge.
BJP's Response
Rattan Pal, the district BJP president, welcomed the court's order, stating that it upholds the people's mandate. He confirmed that the party is now gearing up to elevate its supported candidates in all civic bodies across the district.
