Shimla, Mar 22
Ruling BJP shortlisted as many as 64 and Congress 55 candidates for 64 wards of four Municipal Corporations. The MCs of Dharmshala, Mandi, Palampur and Solan would undergo polls on April 7.
The two main political parties of state BJP and opposition Indian National Congress finalized
the candidates for the upcoming municipal corporation elections in the state as the polling would be held on April 7 and nomination would be filled 22, 23 and 24 March.
The BJP has finalized all 64 candidates in each wards of four MCs however Congress has finalized 55 candidates so far. CPI(M) and Aam Adami Party has announced to fight the upcoming election which is being held on the party symbols.
There are currently five municipal corporations in Himachal, four of which – Dharamshala, Mandi Solan and Palampur– are going to the polls now while the Shimla municipal corporation elections are due next year. The MCs of Mandi, Solan and Palampur are newly-created and would be going to polls for the first time.State election commission issued notification for the poll today and filling of paper started from today onward till Wednesday. The nomination papers will be scrutinized on Thursday. On Saturday, the final list of contesting candidates would be displayed by the election officials after the deadline for withdrawal of candidature is over.
The polling will be held on April 7 and the counting of votes would be taken up immediately after the close of the poll.
The BJP has publicly released the names of its candidates contesting in 17 wards each in Dharamshala and Solan, and 15 wards each in Mandi and Palampur. The Congress, likewise, has released the names of 13 contestants each in Palampur and Solan, 14 in Dharamshala and 15 in Mandi.
A member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said that the party has decided to contest these elections but it is yet to finalize its candidates.
Elections to six newly-created nagar-panchayats and for the post of Gram Panchayat Pradhan in three blocks in the state would also be held simultaneously.
Before the 2022 Assembly election, two by elections are due in the state including
one MLA and another MP seats. One seat of MLA fell vacant due to the recent death of sitting Congress MLA Sujan Singh Pathania from the Fatehpur assembly constituency.
A Lok Sabha seat of Mandi also fell vacant due to the mysterious death of BJP MP Ram
Swaroop Sharma at his residence at Delhi. Election commission expected to announce
date of polling in these two vacant constituencies along bye-election and general election scheduled with other states accordingly.
