BJP Sweeps Mandi Civic Polls, Wins 12 Wards as Congress Limited To One Seat
The Bharatiya Janata Party delivered a commanding performance in the Mandi Municipal Corporation elections, capturing 12 of the 15 wards and tightening its grip on one of Himachal Pradesh's most politically significant urban bodies.
The results handed the BJP a decisive mandate, leaving the Congress with just a single ward victory, while an Independent candidate secured one seat. Polling in another ward could not be conducted, making the contest heavily tilted in favour of the saffron party.
The outcome is being viewed as a major political boost for the BJP, particularly because the party fought the election while sitting in the Opposition in Himachal Pradesh. Despite the Congress leading the state government, voters in Mandi overwhelmingly backed BJP candidates across several key wards.
Among the notable winners were BJP candidates Sarita Handa, Nirmal Verma, Krishna Thakur, Virendra Singh Arya, Gurdeep Kaur, Suman, Neha Kumari, Jitendra Kumar, Gagan and Rajni Sharma, who helped the party secure a comfortable majority in the civic body.
Congress avoided a complete wipeout after Narvada Devi emerged victorious in Ward No. 4, while Independent candidate Alaknanda Handa registered a win in Ward No. 1 following a closely contested battle.
Political observers believe the result will strengthen the BJP's organisational position in Mandi ahead of future electoral contests. The campaign was led aggressively by former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who conducted extensive outreach efforts across the city during the election campaign.
The results are also expected to enhance the influence of Anil Sharma, whose political standing in the region remains significant.
