The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suffered a setback in the 4 municipal company elections in Himachal Pradesh profitable only one with a transparent majority and shedding two different civic our bodies to the opposition Congress forward of the 2022 state meeting elections.
Polling was held for 4 municipal companies of Solan, Palampur, Dharamsala and Mandi on Wednesday. Elections to Solan, Palampur and Mandi have been held for the primary time after being carved out as municipal companies.
The outcome, that got here in late at evening, is being seen as a significant dampener for the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP authorities in the state. The opposition Congress, which had suffered main reverses in the Nagarpalika and Nagar Panchayat elections not too long ago, has managed to claw its means again considerably by profitable Palampur and Solan municipal companies. Significantly, the Congress managed to win in Palampur, the stronghold of former BJP Chief Minister Shanta Kumar profitable 11 of the 15 wards with BJP profitable two solely.
In Dharamsala, which the Congress had gained in 2015, the BJP managed to win extra wards than the Congress however fell in need of crossing the bulk mark. The solely reduction for the celebration got here with its efficiency in Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur’s residence district, Mandi, the place it managed to win 11 of the 15 wards bagging the civic physique.
With elections scheduled subsequent yr, reverses for the BJP are being attributed to numerous elements. One, although the Thakur authorities perceived to have a clear picture, its detractors imagine that it is not performing. “In the local bodies, there has been a general belief that when it comes to delivering basic results, the government is shying away from taking important decisions. It has failed to deliver despite having a clean image,” admitted a BJP chief.
Also, observers say, the infighting inside the celebration has price it dearly. “A big number of disgruntled party leaders contested as rebels. Almost 50 per cent of Independents who have won are BJP rebels. If the party could have managed to nip it in the first place, the results would have been different,” stated a senior celebration chief.
The Congress had based mostly its marketing campaign on inflation and the rise of costs of important commodities. “The petrol, diesel and LPG price hike came at a wrong time for us. That definitely has also contributed to our performance,” stated a celebration chief.
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