In a surprising turn of events, all four MLAs of Kullu district failed to save their political reputation in the recently concluded municipal elections, which are being viewed as a semi-final ahead of the 2027 Assembly poll. The election results have thrown up a curious pattern. Wherever a BJP legislator was in-charge, the Congress-backed candidates won and wherever a Congress MLA held sway, BJP-backed or Independent candidates emerged victorious.
In Manali, Congress MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur’s efforts failed as his party-backed candidates could not win even one seat in the Municipal Council elections. The BJP-supported candidates won in all seven wards. Similarly, in the Kullu Municipal Council elections, Congress MLA Sunder Singh Thakur faced a setback. In total 11 wards, the Congress-backed candidates won in only three, while BJP-supported candidates also secured three seats and Independents won in five wards.
In Banjar, BJP legislator Surender Shourie’s home turf delivered a shock. Five Congress-backed candidates won in the the Nagar Panchayat elections, reducing the BJP victory to just two seats. Likewise, in Nirmand Nagar Panchayat in the Anni assembly segment, BJP legislator Lokendra Kumar saw his influence wane as the Congress-backed candidates won five seats compared to only two by the BJP.
District Congress president Ses Ram Azad congratulated the winning Congress-backed candidates and claimed full majority in Bhuntar, Banjar and Nirmand.
The Kullu Municipal Council election results also exposed deep internal rifts in both major parties. Sidelining Gopal Krishan Mahant, a three-decade veteran of municipal politics, two-time chairman and two-time vice-chairman, cost the Congress dearly. He was ignored from the start and the Congress won only three seats.
For the BJP, factionalism played spoilsport. Rebels fighting the elections as Independent candidates against the BJP-backed candidates altered the equations decisively. In Ward No. 8, infighting was so intense that the party could not even finalise the candidate. In Ward No. 1, Ram Singh, who broke away from the BJP, fielded his wife Pushpa, who defeated the candidates of both parties, marking a strong comeback in town politics.
With both Congress and BJP winning three councillor seats each in Kullu, the focus has shifted to the president’s post. The five Independent candidates hold the key. Three of them have the BJP background, one of the Congress and one of the CPM. A BJP majority appears possible if the party strikes a deal with Ram Singh. The Congress, too, cannot form a majority without his support. Political maneuvering has already begun.
