Himachal Civic Polls: The electoral battle for Himachal Pradesh’s 51 urban local bodies has entered its decisive phase. The State Election Commission confirmed on Wednesday that following the completion of the nomination withdrawal process, a total of 1,147 candidates remain in the contest.
The poll body has now moved to the next procedural step. All the remaining candidates were allotted their respective election symbols on May 6, formalising their entry into the electoral arena. The Commission stated that the polling is scheduled to be conducted on May 17. Voting will take place from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Providing a detailed breakdown of the scrutiny process, officials shared the trajectory of the filed nominations. A total of 1,426 nomination papers were originally submitted across the state. During the scrutiny phase, 32 of these nomination papers were rejected, leaving 1,394 valid nominations in the pool. Subsequently, a significant number of 237 candidates officially withdrew their names, bringing the final count of active contestants down to 1,147.
In a notable development, 10 municipal wards have already seen a clear resolution without a contest. The Commission confirmed that candidates in these wards have been declared elected unopposed.
A district-wise analysis places Kangra at the forefront of the electoral activity with the highest number of candidates at 218. Mandi follows with 180 candidates, while Shimla has 123 contestants in the fray. Other districts logged substantial participation, with Solan fielding 121 candidates, Una 118, Kullu 100, Bilaspur 87, Sirmaur 84, Chamba 72, and Hamirpur 44 candidates.
Certain unusual local situations have also emerged from the data. In Ward Number 7 of Nagar Panchayat Karsog in Mandi district, not a single nomination paper was filed. In a different case from the same district, all four candidates in Ward Number 14 of the Municipal Corporation Mandi withdrew their nominations.
Meanwhile, the nomination process is still actively underway for the Nagar Parishad Rohru and Nagar Panchayat Narkanda. On the first day, Rohru saw 4 nominations filed, whereas Narkanda reported none. Activity picked up on the second day, with both locations recording the filing of 5 nomination papers each.
Secretary of the State Election Commission, Surajit Singh Rathour, stated that the election process is proceeding strictly according to the predetermined schedule. He added that all preparations for the polling day are being completed in a timely manner.
