BJP rattled as Congress swept Himachal’s rural, urban local body polls, says Negi

In Himachal Pradesh, where the political fate of the State is largely decided in its villages, the election of around 2,400 Congress-aligned Pradhans (village heads) and 2,600 Deputy Pradhans in 3,754 Panchayats is a testament to the faith of the people in the positive development management style of the Congress government, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Thursday (June 4). 2026).

Mr. Negi said the trend in favor of the Congress continued in urban areas as well, with Congress-backed candidates winning 29 out of 53 urban local bodies across the State. “In Kangra district, the Congress swept all six municipal bodies without leaving even a single one to the BJP. Mandi district also witnessed a complete collapse of the urban support base of the BJP,” he said at a press conference in Shimla.

Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he accused the party of trying to divert public attention from pressing concerns such as the rise in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas by falsely portraying itself as the winner of the last Panchayat elections.

“People across the State are demanding answers from the BJP on rising inflation, but the party is busy claiming a hollow victory in the Panchayat elections where voters have openly rejected them. While around 2,400 Pradhans and 2,600 Deputy Pradhans of the 3,754 Panchayats elected were Congress aligned, Congress-backed candidates also emerged victorious in 29 of the State’s 53 urban local bodies. Notably, the Congress swept all of them. While there are six municipal bodies in Kangra, the BJP He could not win even a single one and regained the posts of Chairman and Deputy Chairman in the urban local body of Chamba after 10 years and in the municipal body of Chuwari after 15 years,” he said.

The Minister added that the policies of the BJP-led central government are not only hindering development work at the Panchayat level but are also constantly eroding employment opportunities in the field. “An effective shutdown of MGNREGA funding will leave Panchayats in resource crunch. The BJP should clarify its position as adequate funding is indispensable for rural development and effective functioning of the Panchayat,” he said.