Congress secures full term for Shimla Mayor

In a significant political development, the Cabinet extended the tenure of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) from the existing two-and-a-half years to five years. The move paves the way for Mayor Surinder Chauhan to continue leading the Congress-run civic body for a full term until 2028.

The Cabinet’s decision, taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, also ensures that Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal will remain in office for the full duration.

Until now, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of MC held office for two and a half years, as per a rotation system introduced in 2016. With their current terms having recently ended, lobbying had reportedly begun among Congress councillors for the top posts, with fresh elections expected soon. However, today’s Cabinet decision has effectively put all such speculation to rest.

Political observers note that Chauhan, a close aide of CM Sukhu, was widely expected to benefit from the change. Elected thrice as Councillor from the Chotta Shimla ward, Chauhan took charge as Mayor in 2023.

The rotation policy introduced in 2016 had fixed the overall tenure of the MC at five years, but limited the terms of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to half that period. The Cabinet’s latest move reverses that decision, restoring a full five-year term to both offices.

Reacting to the development, Chauhan expressed gratitude to the state government, saying he would continue to work for the welfare and all-round development of Shimla with “full dedication and honesty”.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur criticised the government, alleging that it had extended the tenure to avoid facing mayoral elections it feared losing. “The CM knows that Congress councillors may not back the party’s mayoral candidate. Earlier, the government delayed the urban local body and panchayat elections, fearing defeat. Now it has run away from the Shimla MC polls too,” he charged.

The decision has stirred the local political landscape, with the ruling Congress calling it a step toward “administrative continuity”, while the BJP has termed it an “undemocratic attempt to cling to power”.