Panchayat poll can wait, disaster relief can’t: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday reiterated that there was no attempt to postpone panchayati raj elections in the state and asserted that providing relief to those affected by disaster remains a top priority for his government.

He said Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur “should not worry about the panchayat elections” and urged him and all BJP MPs from the state to “go to Delhi and get Rs 1,500 crore announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for disaster-hit Himachal”. “Disaster Act has been implemented in the state and our first priority is to give relief to the affected families whose houses have been damaged,” Sukhu told media persons in Hamirpur.

The elections to more than 3,500 gram panchayats in Himachal Pradesh are slated from December 2025- January 2026. The last date for conducting the elections is January 23 and the state election commission had set in the process by initiating preparation of electoral rolls.

In a notification issued on October 9, Chief Secretary and State Executive Committee chairperson Sanjay Gupta announced that the polls will be held “only after restoration of proper connectivity”.