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May 17 civic body polls: Promises galore as Cong, BJP campaign reach fever pitch in Himachal
The elections of 51 urban local bodies, including four municipal corporations (MC)--Solan, Mandi, Dharamshala and Palampur--along with 25 municipal councils and 22 nagar panchayats will be held on May 17
With campaigning reaching the penultimate day, political parties, including the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have intensified their outreach programme, with party leaders making efforts to woo voters.
The elections of 51 urban local bodies, including four municipal corporations (MC)--Solan, Mandi, Dharamshala and Palampur--along with 25 municipal councils and 22 nagar panchayats will be held on May 17.
Campaigning will culminate at 3 pm on Friday (May 15).
Himachal Pradesh chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu campaigned in Mandi on Thursday and led a roadshow in Palampur. Later, in Dharamshala, he, along with other party leaders, including AICC in-charge of Himachal Congress Rajani Patil, released the election manifesto for the MC polls.
Among the 29 development commitments announced by the Congress for Dharamshala MC are the expansion of the modern sewerage system in the merged areas, construction of Kulhs in every ward, complete restoration and beautification of Dal Lake, underground electricity and internet cabling (ongoing) and EV charging stations in every ward.
While interacting with the media, Sukhu criticised the BJP, stating that the previous BJP government spent public money recklessly to win elections. “Buildings worth ₹1,000 crore were constructed to benefit their associates, but many of them are lying vacant. The previous government distributed nearly ₹5,000 crore in ‘freebies’ during election time, which weakened financial discipline,” he alleged.
“We have remained committed to the development of Dharamshala. We shifted seven offices from Shimla to Dharamshala to boost the town’s economy. We undertook the expansion of the Kangra airport to promote the region. Our candidates are committed to serving the people honestly,” Sukhu said.
BJP retorts
Senior BJP leader and former minister Bikram Thakur alleged that Congress rule in Dharamshala has become a symbol of corruption, administrative chaos, operations, water crisis and complete failure of development works.
He further said that the Dharamshala Bus Stand project has remained incomplete for years due to land disputes, pending approvals and administrative inefficiency under the Congress government.
Drinking water crisis in Dharamshala is one of the biggest examples of the Congress government’s failure, he said. After the main pipeline of the Gaj Khad water supply scheme was damaged in a landslide in July 2025, the city struggled with severe water shortages for months, the BJP leader added.
Anurag in Dharamshala
On Thursday, BJP MP from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur, sharply attacked Congress while campaigning in Dharamshala.
Addressing the public gathering, Thakur alleged that the state administration has offered the public nothing but hollow guarantees, while development at the grassroots level has come to a complete standstill. “The condition of roads, water supply, sanitation, and basic amenities within the Municipal Corporation limits is deplorable, and the public is now in a mood to demand answers,” he alleged.
He also said that the Congress state government has offered nothing but false guarantees; actual delivery has been zero. “Roads, water supply, and sanitation—everything has ground to a halt within the MC. The public will now demand an accountability report. The people of Dharamshala have made up their minds: this time, it will be the BJP in the MC as well—the true guarantee of development,” Thakur said.
“The Congress government has done nothing but spread confusion; now, however, the public will show them the door out of power,” he added.
