New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jairam Thakur, on Monday hailed the BJP's victory in three of the four municipal corporation elections, saying that the people have decided to uproot the Congress government in the state.

BJP won the polls in Dharamshala, Mandi and Solan, while Congress won Palampur municipal corporation, as results were declared on Sunday. The voting for the civic body elections in Himachal Pradesh was held on May 17.

In Mandi, the BJP won 12 of the 14 wards, while Congress secured one. The party won 10 of the 17 wards in Mandi, restricting Congress to six. The BJP swept the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation, winning 11 wards out of a total of 17. Congress won five wards, whereas one was secured by an independent candidate.

Noting the significance of the poll results ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, Jairam Thakur accused the Congress government of postponing the urban local body elections by invoking the Disaster Act, and claimed it knew election results would not be in its favour.

Thakur said, 'The elections for Panchayati Raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh and, along with them, the municipal body elections that were scheduled for November were deliberately postponed by the Chief Minister because they knew the election results would not be in their favour. Therefore, the Disaster Act was imposed in Himachal Pradesh. We went to the High Court, and a decision came against the government there. The government went to the Supreme Court, and then a decision came that the elections for Panchayati Raj institutions and municipal bodies in Himachal Pradesh must be completed by May 31.'

He claimed that the Congress 'wouldn't be found in Himachal Pradesh,' if the Assembly polls are held now.

'The Chief Minister's assessment in this matter turned out to be correct. He knew the outcome would be against them, and that's exactly what happened. The plain truth is that the people of Himachal have already decided for the Congress that this government must be uprooted. As of today's date, if (assembly) elections were to be held, the Congress wouldn't be found in Himachal Pradesh,' the BJP leader said.

However, on Sunday, Chief Minister Sukvinder Singh Sukhu rejected the BJP's claims of a sweeping victory in the recently concluded urban local body elections, asserting that the Congress had emerged as the leading party by winning 29 out of 53 Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat contests across the state.

Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Sukhu said the BJP's attempts to portray the results as a mandate against the Congress government were 'misleading' and not supported by the actual figures.

'Out of 53 urban local body elections, Congress has won 29, BJP has won 21 and three bodies have returned a hung verdict. These are the facts. BJP's claims of a major victory are not based on reality,' the Chief Minister said.

Sukhu questioned the BJP's interpretation of the results, particularly its celebration of victory in the Mandi Municipal Corporation. He said the outcome in Mandi reflected the influence of local leaders, especially MLA Anil Sharma, rather than a personal victory for LoP Jai Ram Thakur. (ANI)