The Himachal Pradesh government has ordered to postpone the panchayat elections, due in December-January, on grounds that road connectivity — damaged due to rain, landslides and flashfloods in the monsoon — was yet to be restored. The decision has been taken following feedback from deputy commissioners of the worst affected districts, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta Thursday said. Gupta, in his capacity as Chief Secretary-cum-Chairman, State Executive Committee, State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), on Wednesday issued the order postponing the Panchayat elections. “Under sub section of Section 24 of the Disaster Management Act 2025, the elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions will be held only after the restoration of proper connectivity throughout the state so that no inconvenience is caused to the public as well as the polling personnel and further no voter loses his right to vote because of road connectivity issues,” read the order issued by Gupta. The order cites the widespread damage to the infrastructure and loss of lives due to the cloudbursts and rain induced flash floods and landslides. It further added that even in the post-monsoon period, heavy rainfall has continued due to an active western disturbance, leading to 13 more deaths in disaster-related incidents and 20 fatalities in road accidents. Since the panchayati elections are scheduled for December and January — the months when the state experiences heavy snowfall and cold wave — the government has decided to prioritize safety and accessibility before conducting the polls. "The decision to postpone the elections has been taken following the feedback of Deputy Commissioners Hamirpur, Shimla, Mandi and Kangra districts who urged the state government to defer the polls because the road infrastructure in their areas remains severely damaged. The state government is working on a war footing to restore connectivity,” Gupta told The Indian Express. He, however, added that it was not yet known by when the road connectivity will be restored completely. "Currently, the state is not in the condition to hold Panchayat elections. The government is in communication with the central government, NHAI and other stakeholders for the early restoration of road connectivity in the state,” he added. The elections were to be held in 3,577 panchayats across 12 districts to elect members for 249 zila parishad wards and 91 panchayat samitis. Barring the post of deputy pradhan, there is a provision for reservations to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and women at all three levels of the panchayati raj system. with only the post of deputy pradhan remains the only unreserved position. The last panchayat elections took place in 2021. The Opposition BJP, meanwhile, accused the Congress government in state of running away from the panchayat polls. Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said, "The government is aware of its imminent defeat the elections. The Chief Minister and his government cannot face the people of the state. They know very well that the Congress is headed for a crushing defeat. That is why they first avoided holding the municipal and urban local body elections, and now they have postponed the Panchayat elections as well." Thakur further alleged that the decision to delay the panchayat polls was “pre-planned and politically motivated.” State BJP chief Dr Rajeev Bindal termed the move “politically motivated” and alleged that sequence of events, from deputy commissioners' feedback to a disaster notification by the revenue department shows that Congress dispensation was never in favour of holding the elections. Incidentally, last week, Anirudh Singh, the state's Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, had said that State Election Commission was likely to announce the roster for the polls to panchayati raj institutions by October 15. He had also brushed aside concerns over pending organisational restructuring of the Congress, saying that it will have no bearing on the panchayat elections that are not held on party symbols. “Even without an organisation, Congress-supported candidates will perform strongly, and the party will retain dominance," he had said. Prior to that, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had in August told the Vidhan Sabha during the monsoon session that the panchayat elections would not be postponed. Replying to party's Nalagarh MLA Hardeep Singh Bawa who had had pointed out that roads had suffered extensive damage and several polling booths had been destroyed, Sukhu had said the panchayat elections would not be deferred. The same day, the Vidhan Sabha had passed the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system by ensuring transparency and aligning state laws with the newly enacted criminal codes. The Bill seeks to introduce strict provisions by disallowing tainted panchayats members, office bearers and employees from participating in any contract, commission, or share involving panchayat work, and provides for action under Section 202 (public servant unlawfully engaging in trade) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with disqualification from holding office, in case of violation. The Bill adopts nearly 40 provisions of the BNS, “enabling panchayats to adjudicate minor offences” such as public nuisance, criminal trespass, petty theft up to Rs 250, and misconduct in public places. Disaster in numbers According to official data, the 2025 monsoon caused widespread devastation in Himachal Pradesh. The state witnessed 47 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods, and 148 major landslides, resulting in the deaths of 270 people. Additionally, 198 people lost their lives in road accidents during this period. A total of 1,817 houses have been completely destroyed, and 8,323 houses suffered partial damage. The estimated loss stands at Rs 5,426 crore, with assessments still ongoing.
