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Sukhu Defends Postponement of Himachal Panchayat Polls, Cites Major Disaster Relief Work
Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu told the Assembly that the postponement of Panchayat elections was necessary due to large-scale disaster relief operations. He said delimitation began months earlier and the State Election Commission acted without interference. Sukhu added that polls will be held immediately after the Disaster Management Act provisions are lifted.
Speaking in the Assembly on Thursday during the discussion on the adjournment motion regarding Panchayat elections, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu defended the decision to defer the polls, citing the scale of disaster-related challenges the state faced this year.
Sukhu said that the process of delimitation and reorganisation of Panchayats had already begun in June and the State Election Commission carried out its work independently, without any interference from the government.
He stressed that no one could have predicted a disaster “worse than the 2023 calamity” hitting Himachal in 2025. “A major disaster struck even in the constituency of former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur,” he said. “I remained in touch with him and ensured that all possible resources were deployed.” He added that the Mani Mahesh Yatra was also severely affected.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi spent nine days in Bharmaur reopening blocked roads and helping evacuate stranded pilgrims. Following this, additional disasters struck Indora and Fatehpur in Kangra district. “Our DCs were fully engaged in disaster management and rehabilitation. How could they be assigned other responsibilities at such a time?” he said.
Sukhu clarified that the elections were postponed strictly under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act.
Reiterating that his government’s focus is on public service, he said, “We work with a vision for today and the future. I have carried responsibilities for a long time. Let us see what comes next.”
He assured the House that Panchayat elections would be conducted immediately after the Disaster Management Act provisions are lifted. The reorganisation process is underway, with several new units proposed, as some existing Panchayats have populations nearing 9,000. He reminded members that the previous BJP government had also created new Panchayats during its tenure.
“We want maximum public participation in voting,” he said, adding that his government is committed to holding the polls at the earliest possible date once legal restrictions are removed.
Responding to Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur’s remark that “even God cannot save this government,” Sukhu replied, “Our government continues to run with the blessings of the people — and of God.”
Taking a jab at Thakur, he added, “He keeps saying that he will review all our decisions in his first Cabinet meeting. No one knows whether that Cabinet will take place in 2027 or 2028. We still have two full years to serve.”
