Old photo used for indicative purpose only
Shimla Mayor Tenure Extension Becomes Law After Governor’s Assent; High Court Hearing on March 19
Shimla, March 5,
A development that directly impacts the leadership structure of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), the tenure of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor has now officially been extended to five years after Shiv Pratap Shukla, Governor of Himachal Pradesh, granted assent to the amendment Bill passed by the state Assembly.
The amendment modifies provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, ending months of political debate and legal uncertainty surrounding the continuation of the current Mayor’s term. With the Governor’s approval, the law brings the tenure of Shimla’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor in line with the five-year term already followed by other municipal corporations in the state.
Speaking to mediapersons at Raj Bhavan, Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan said he met the Governor to express gratitude for granting assent to the legislation. Chauhan stated that the state government introduced the amendment to ensure uniformity across municipal corporations.
“Earlier, only the Shimla Municipal Corporation had a tenure of two and a half years, whereas the remaining municipal corporations had a five-year term. The amendment removes this disparity and ensures uniformity across all eight municipal corporations,” Chauhan said.
The issue had sparked intense political debate and also reached the Himachal Pradesh High Court, where a Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate Anjali Soni, supported by councillors of the Bharatiya Janata Party, challenged the extension of the Mayor’s tenure.
Also read:Shimla Mayor Tenure Case: Himachal High Court may decide Surinder Chauhan’s fate this week
Counsel for the petitioners, Senior Advocate Sudhir Thakur, told a news agency that the High Court has scheduled the next hearing of the case on March 19. According to Thakur, the court will now examine the legal implications of the Governor’s assent to the amendment Bill.
“The state government has already submitted an affidavit before the High Court stating that the Governor has given assent to the amendment Bill. The court will now determine the legal impact of this development during the next hearing,” he said.
The matter had earlier been heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chandra Negi, where arguments focused on the validity of the earlier ordinance and the continuation of the Mayor beyond the originally prescribed tenure.
With the amendment now formally enacted, the upcoming hearing in the High Court will decide whether the new law effectively settles the dispute or if further judicial scrutiny of the tenure extension is required.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
