The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept three of the four Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation elections on 31 May 2025, claiming victories in Mandi, Dharamsala, and Solan, while the ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) managed to retain only Palampur. The results, from polling conducted on 17 May on party symbols, signal a significant setback for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu's government ahead of the next assembly cycle.

Ward-by-Ward Breakdown

Across the four corporations' 17 seats, the BJP secured 11 wins against Congress's five, with one seat going to an Independent candidate. In Mandi, the BJP dominated with 12 wards, leaving Congress and an Independent with one ward each. Polling in one ward was boycotted by residents over unresolved civic grievances.

In Solan, the BJP won six of eight wards, with Congress and an Independent each taking one. Palampur proved the lone bright spot for the ruling party — Congress won nine of the 10 wards where results were declared. In Dharamsala, outgoing Congress Mayor Neenu Sharma retained her ward, but the party faced losses across the remaining wards as BJP candidates secured comfortable margins.

Mandi: A High-Stakes Test for Jairam Thakur

The Mandi result carries particular political weight. The city is the home district of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, making it a prestige contest for the BJP. In the 2021 municipal elections, when Thakur was Chief Minister, the BJP had won 11 wards while Congress secured four — meaning the BJP has improved its tally by one ward this time around.

What the BJP Said

BJP legislator from Dharamsala, Sudhir Sharma — a former Congress rebel — described the outcome as a direct verdict against the Sukhu administration. 'These results clearly demonstrate that the public has delivered a mandate in favour of the BJP and against the Congress,' Sharma said. He added that the Congress government had 'completely failed to address the grievances of employees, the youth, women, traders, and the common people,' and that this discontent was now 'clearly reflected in today's election results.' Sharma also framed the victory as an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance model, saying voters had 'reaffirmed trust in PM Modi's policies and the BJP's style of functioning.'

Turnout and Counting in Progress

The four municipal corporations recorded an overall voter turnout of 63.44%. Of 1,31,369 registered voters, 83,342 cast their ballots. Mandi led with the highest turnout at 68.78%, followed by Kangra at 63.72%. Dharamsala saw 60% participation, while Solan recorded the lowest among the four at 58.32%. Separately, counting of votes for 250 Zila Parishad wards and 1,684 of 1,769 Panchayat Samiti members was still underway at the time of reporting. The full picture of the BJP's rural sweep — or Congress's ability to limit damage — will emerge once those results are finalised.