Himachal Pradesh Congress nudged past the ruling BJP in Municipal Corporation elections by securing clear majority in two Municipal Corporations in a high voltage poll battle that saw senior leaders of both parties making efforts to secure a win for their party.

The MC elections were being considered as a semi final before the assembly polls after the ruling party decided to conduct these elections on party symbols.

It was challenge from Congress leaders including state chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore to BJP leadership to conduct MC polls on party symbol after both the parties claimed victory in over 70 per cent seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Zila Parishad elections.

The elections to PRIs, ULBs and Zila Parishad were held in January this year.

The MC elections were hard fought by both parties with senior leaders of both the parties including Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur taking to door to door campaign to ensure victory in MC polls.

State Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore said the party secured a clear victory and had gained upper hand in the elections as the BJP government had failed in carrying forward the development process in the state.

“Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur failed in delivering on the promises of development and welfare of common masses and it is the result of these failures that the people of the state have voted for Congress party,” he added.

Rathore said the ruling party manipulated the PRIs elections in its favour by misusing government machinery but the MC polls that were fought on party symbol, had made it clear as to who the people of state will favour in upcoming elections in the state.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur too claimed victory in MCs and PRIs elections and said the party had secured victory in biggest MC Dharamshala in Kangra which the party wrested from Congress.

“The MC elections are fought on local issues and BJP had secured win two MCs, besides securing win in 0ver 70 per cent seats in panchayats, ULBs, Nagar Panchayats and Zila parishad.

The jubilation of Congress party is unfounded as the BJP has won 2019 Lok Sabha elections by record margin with party candidates securing victory in all the 68 assembly constituencies of the state,” he added.

Thakur further stated that the government had constituted three new MCs and 6 Nagar Panchayats for regulated and planned growth of fast developing towns of the state in which the party had got whole hearted support of the people.

It is worthwhile to mention here that Congress had secured victory on 29 wards, BJP on 28 wards while independents won on 7 wards out of the total 64 wards in 4 MCs.

Solan and Dharamshala MCs had 17 wards each while Mandi and Palampur MCs had 15 wards each.

Congress had won 9 seats, BJP 7, independent 1 in Solan MC with the opposition party winning 11 seats in Palampur MC with BJP and independents winning 2 seats each.

In Mandi MC, BJP won on 11, Congress on 4 seats while the ruling won on 8 seats in Dharamshala MC falling short of majority by one seat, followed by Congress 5 seats and independents on 4 seats.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had also fielded candidates too tried to test waters in HP ahead of assembly polls but failed to make any the MC polls.