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Himachal Pradesh Defers Panchayat Elections as Monsoon Devastation Slows Restoration Work
Himachal Pradesh has postponed Panchayati Raj elections due to massive monsoon damage, unfinished road restoration, and disrupted connectivity. The state says polls can be held only after essential infrastructure and public access are restored.
Panchayat elections cannot be held until post-monsoon normalcy is restored, says state government.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta writes to State Election Commission, citing damaged infrastructure.
SDMA’s 8 October order postponing polls remains in force; government will join SEC meetings only after its withdrawal.
Deputy Commissioners report major road damage, with many village roads still cut off.
Monsoon toll: 47 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods, 148 major landslides, 270 deaths in Himachal Pradesh.
Monsoon Devastation Forces Himachal Pradesh to Defer Panchayat Elections
Chief Secretary cites damaged roads, disrupted connectivity, and pending restoration work
Even as the State Election Commission (SEC) finalised the electoral rolls for the upcoming Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) elections, the Himachal Pradesh government has made it clear that polls cannot be held until normalcy is restored after the extensive destruction caused by this year’s monsoon.
In a fresh communication to the SEC, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta stated that the government will inform the Commission about conducting elections only when on-ground conditions stabilise significantly. With this stance, the likelihood of holding PRI elections before the end of the year has diminished, despite the SEC’s push to move forward.
Gupta’s letter follows the SEC’s decision to convene a meeting of senior officials on 12 November to review election preparedness. He clarified that the government will participate in such discussions only after the formal withdrawal of the 8 October 2025 order under the Disaster Management Act, which had postponed the polls due to severe infrastructure damage. Until then, the order will remain binding.
The letter underscores the government’s position that it is not in a position to conduct elections immediately. Citing widespread road damage and ongoing disruption in connectivity, Gupta stressed that holding elections without restoring basic public access would be unfair to voters and logistically unsound.
He also referred to the latest assessment by the Revenue Department, which had sought updated connectivity reports from all Deputy Commissioners (DCs). According to these reports, restoration work is underway across the state, but the scale of destruction has slowed progress. Many village link roads remain partially or completely non-functional, leaving several areas effectively cut off.
The government has directed DCs to prioritise clearing relief cases under the special relief package. The letter highlights the severity of the disaster: Himachal Pradesh recorded 47 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods, 148 major landslides, and 270 deaths during the monsoon.
Defending the 8 October decision to postpone the PRI elections, Gupta said the move was necessary to avoid inconvenience to voters and polling teams, and to ensure that no citizen is denied their right to vote simply because their road access has been compromised.
