Himachal Pradesh Government Postpones Panchayat Elections, Citing Monsoon Damage and Connectivity Crisis

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to postpone the Panchayati Raj elections scheduled for December–January, citing extensive monsoon damage and a severe connectivity crisis across the state’s rural areas.

Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta issued the order under the Disaster Management Act, 2025, noting that damaged roads and adverse conditions of both public and private property made it impractical to hold the polls as planned. The decision was taken in Gupta’s capacity as Chief Secretary and Chairperson of the State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

The order stated, “Under the provisions of Section 24 of the Disaster Management Act, 2025, elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions shall be conducted only after proper connectivity is restored across the state, ensuring that neither the general public nor polling personnel face any inconvenience, and that no voter loses their right to vote due to poor road access.”

The directive highlighted the widespread destruction caused by the monsoon, which triggered 47 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods, and 148 major landslides. During this period, 270 people lost their lives due to weather-related incidents, while another 198 died in accidents.

The government’s order also referenced letters from the Deputy Commissioners of Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur, and Shimla, who had urged the postponement of elections until rural connectivity could be restored and to avoid any loss of life in remote areas.

Opposition Accuses Government of Evading Elections

Reacting to the postponement, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur accused the state government of using the disaster as an excuse to delay elections out of fear of defeat.

“The government already knows what the results would be,” Thakur said. “The Congress is afraid of a massive loss. First, it avoided the urban local body elections, and now it has postponed the Panchayati Raj polls as well. The government cannot face the people of the state and is hiding behind the disaster as a pretext.”

State BJP president Rajeev Bindal echoed similar sentiments, alleging that the Congress government postponed the Panchayati Raj elections because it feared a crushing defeat due to its “anti-people policies.”