Himachal: ADCs authorised to conduct polls of Mayor, Dy Mayor in four MCs

Ambika Sharma

Solan, November 21

The state government today authorised the Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs) of respective districts to conduct the polls of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the four civic bodies of Solan, Mandi, Dharamsala and Palampur.

Mandi mayoral poll on Nov 25

• Elections to pick the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Mandi Municipal Corporation would be held on Nov 25
• MC Commissioner HS Rana said a meeting has been called on November 25 at 12 noon to conduct the elections and all preparations have been made for the purpose
• The district administration has asked the councillors to remain present at the meeting
• here are 11 councillors from the BJP and four from the Congress in the MC

Solan ADC Ajay Yadav while confirming the news said, “A meeting will be convened tomorrow where officials, including the Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of the Solan Municipal Corporation (MC), will decide the date for a meeting of the councillors for conducting elections for the two posts.”

Notably, the two posts had fallen vacant after the expiry of the two-and-a-half year tenure of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor in mid-October.

Though the elections should have been held prior to the completion of their terms, infighting among the Congress councillors delayed the elections in Solan.

The two key posts in the Solan MC were held by the Congress, which has a majority of nine of the 17 councillors in the House.

Despite having a majority, the Congress was a divided house where two factions were vying to secure the two key posts. Mayor Punam Grover and Deputy Mayor Rajeev Kaura faced opposition from a section of Congress councillors throughout their tenure.

Since the post of the Mayor was reserved for a woman scheduled caste candidate, Punam Grover was elected for the first two-and-a-half year term in April 2021.

Kaura occupied the post for a tenure of two-and-a-half year as no unanimity could be achieved within the party for the next candidate.

The infighting among the Congress had reached its zenith when an unsuccessful attempt was made by four Congress councillors to bring a no-confidence motion against the Mayor and Deputy Mayor in October 2022 with the support of seven BJP councillors. This further widened the chasm between the two factions of the Congress.

The Congress failed to act against the four erring councillors for bringing the no-confidence motion thus inviting the ire of the other councillors. Both factions did not see eye to eye with each other and this became a major challenge for the party to retain the two posts.

In a bid to benefit from this divided house of the Congress, the opposition BJP will try to secure at least one of the two top posts by roping in the support of at least one faction. It remains to be seen whether the Congress would manage to retain the two top posts or lose them owing to factionalism.