HP Congress forms panels to investigate ULB poll defeat in 3 cities

The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has formed fact-finding panels to probe its defeat in the Mandi, Solan, and Dharamshala municipal elections. The committees will identify reasons for the loss and suggest corrective measures.

The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) on Tuesday constituted fact-finding committees to investigate the reasons behind the party's defeat in three key Municipal Corporations of Mandi, Solan and Dharamshala, in the recently concluded Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections.

The move comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrested control of the Mandi, Solan and Dharamshala Municipal Corporations from the Congress, while the ruling party managed to retain the Palampur Municipal Corporation.

Fact-Finding Panels to Probe Defeat

General Secretary (Organisation) of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, Vinod Jinta, constituted separate four-member committees for each of the three municipal corporations where the party suffered defeat.

The committees have been tasked with identifying constituency-specific factors that contributed to the Congress' poor performance in the civic polls and recommending corrective measures for the future.

"The fact-finding teams will visit the respective electoral constituencies and interact with local leaders, party workers and stakeholders. During this process, the reasons behind the defeat will be identified, and we will work for the improvement of the same. The State Congress Committee has directed all the committees to submit their reports within one week," Jinta told ANI on the phone.

The decision follows remarks by Himachal Pradesh Congress president Vinay Kumar, who had said that the party would undertake a serious review of the municipal corporation election results to further strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level.

According to party leaders, the committees will conduct a detailed assessment of the election outcome, organisational performance, campaign strategy and local issues that may have influenced voter behaviour.

Congress Acknowledges Defeat, Cites Other Wins

Earlier on Monday, the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh acknowledged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had secured a majority in several urban local bodies, but maintained that the Congress had performed well in the Panchayati Raj elections across the state.

"The BJP has secured a majority, and we will certainly analyse the reasons behind the results. At the same time, Congress has performed well in the Panchayati Raj elections at every level, whether it is Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis or Gram Panchayats," Singh said.

Introspection for 2027 Assembly Polls

A senior leader, requesting anonymity, said the closely fought elections had not produced the results expected by the Congress leadership.

"The municipal elections were closely contested, but the outcome was not on expected lines. Introspection is necessary. Based on the reports submitted by the committees, further action will be taken. The objective is to strengthen the organisation and ensure that the party is better prepared for the 2027 Assembly elections," the leader said.

The Congress leadership believes that the findings of the committees will help formulate future electoral strategies and strengthen the party's grassroots network across the state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)