BJP Protests Against Himachal Pradesh Government Over Panchayat Elections Delay

The opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), staged a protest outside the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, accusing the state government of intentionally delaying the Panchayat elections and violating constitutional provisions.

Before the assembly session commenced, the opposition leader and former Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur, addressed the media, claiming that the government led by Chief Minister Sukhu is attempting to postpone the Panchayat elections through administrative and legal maneuvers. Thakur emphasized that after the five-year term of Panchayati Raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh, elections are constitutionally mandated. These elections were scheduled for December, but the government is trying to delay them under various pretexts.

He noted that after the matter reached the Himachal Pradesh High Court, directives were issued to conduct elections by April. However, the state government approached the Supreme Court citing disaster-related concerns, which was dismissed, and the Supreme Court instructed that elections be completed by the end of May. Thakur also accused the government of altering the reservation roster system through a retrospective notification issued on March 30. He claimed that granting Deputy Commissioners the authority to change reservation allocations by up to 5% violates the constitutional provisions under Article 243D. He stated, "Reservations in Panchayati Raj institutions are clearly based on population and rotation. Granting discretionary powers to alter this structure could have widespread implications at the Panchayat, block, and district levels, distorting representation, especially for women."

The BJP leader alleged that such decisions could lead to arbitrary changes in reserved seats, undermining grassroots democracy. Thakur asserted, "This goes against the spirit of the Constitution and democratic norms. We are protesting to safeguard the rights of the people."