Speaker allows BJP’s adjournment motion for discussion on panchayat, local bodies elections

On the opening day of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha’s winter session, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania allowed an adjournment motion moved by BJP MLAs Randhir Sharma, Surinder Shouri and Rakesh Jamwal, seeking suspension of the Question Hour to urgently discuss the alleged delay in panchayat and urban local bodies elections.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said the government was prepared for a “healthy, fact-based discussion”, asserting that there was no attempt to avoid debate on the issue.

Initiating the discussion, Sharma accused the Congress government of acting against public interest by attempting to defer the polls despite the State Election Commission’s readiness to conduct them on time.

He alleged that the government’s actions had created an unnecessary confrontation with the Commission.

Amid ongoing uncertainty over the Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) elections, the Cabinet on Monday approved the reorganisation of panchayats—a move the BJP alleged was timed to delay the electoral process. The party pointed out that this decision came even as the State Election Commission on November 17 invoked a key clause of the Model Code of Conduct, 2020, and issued a notification freezing any changes to the structure, classification or boundaries of panchayats and municipalities.

Sharma demanded that the government immediately announce the schedule for the postponed elections, alleging that the delay amounted to an “insult to the Constitution.”

He said the invocation of the Disaster Management Act to defer the polls was “unconstitutional,” questioning the logic behind it.

“If children can go to school, why can’t their parents go to polling booths to cast their votes?” he asked.

The standoff between the state government and the Election Commission is expected to dominate the early proceedings of the winter session.