The Bharatiya Janata Party secured a key political triumph in Himachal Pradesh by winning both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman positions in the Shimla Zila Parishad elections held at Bachat Bhawan in Shimla. The win serves as a major setback for the ruling Congress party in the state, which failed to gather the required support despite a protracted administrative delay.
Voting Numbers in the 25-Member Body
In the 25-member Shimla Zila Parishad, neither the BJP nor the Congress held an absolute majority on their own, leaving two independent members holding the decisive key to power. The formal election proceedings commenced on Thursday morning at 10:30 AM at Bachat Bhawan. For the Chairman post, BJP-backed candidate Bhupendra Singh Sisodia, contesting from Ward Number 14 Chandlog, secured 13 votes to seal his victory. His opponent, Congress candidate Surendra Recta, managed only 10 votes, while 2 votes were declared invalid during the counting process.
Victory Margins in the Vice-Chairman Contest
The contest for the Vice-Chairman post yielded a similar outcome in favor of the BJP. Bharat Singh Kalanta, representing Ward Number 9, won the post by securing 14 votes. In contrast, Congress nominee Meenakshi from Ward Number 11 received 10 votes, with 1 vote being rejected. Congress had nominated Surendra Recta from Ward Number 5 Seema Rantadi for the top spot and Meenakshi for the second position, but both candidates failed to reach the winning threshold.
A 102-Day Delay and High Court Intervention
The election concluded after an extensive wait of nearly 102 days following the general council elections. Although local council members had been elected three months prior, the formal selection of the governing leadership was repeatedly postponed. The opposition BJP accused the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government of intentionally delaying the poll process to stall proceedings. Consequently, the BJP approached the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which issued directives that eventually compelled the administration to schedule and conduct the elections on Thursday.
