The Shimla Municipal Corporation finally has a new mayor, Surender Chauhan, and deputy mayor, Uma Kaushal, after a gap of almost a year. It is after 11 years, the Congress has got the mayor and deputy mayor’s posts.

Elected unopposed, both Chauhan and Kaushal represent the two factions of Congress. The mayor is a confidante of state Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while the deputy mayor is filled with gratitude to Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee Chief and MP Pratibha Singh.

Though Kaushal was also a contender for the mayor post, as for the first time ever, 21 women won out of 34 wards including 14 from Congress and 7 from BJP. However, closeness to CM has swung the pendulum in Chauhan’s favour.

The results of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) were announced on 4 May.

Both Chauhan and Uma Kaushal are third time councillors from Chotta Shimla and Tuttikandi respectively. Sukhu had represented Chotta Shimla ward twice as a councillor.

An incumbent HPCC vice-president, Chauhan remained the party treasurer when Sukhu was state Congress chief. He has been an active worker of the party for the last four decades and contested his first election for councillor in 2007 from the Chotta Shimla ward. He won for the second consecutive time in 2012 from the same ward. In 2017 when the seat was reserved for women, his wife contested the elections, however, she lost.

This time when the ward was declared unreserved, he tried his luck for the third time and won.

On the other hand, Kaushal made entry into the civic body by winning the election for the first time in 1997 and then in 2012. The 2023 victory is her third victory while earlier her family members had also represented the ward.

Congress had won with an impressive majority, by winning 24 wards out of 34. BJP was reduced to nine seats, whereas CPI (M) had bagged the ward.

The previous BJP government had increased the wards of SMC from 34 to 41 which was challenged before the Himachal Pradesh High Court. It resulted in a delay of elections by a year.

The Congress party after assuming power in 2022 state polls withdrew the decision of increase in wards.

Shimla civic polls is significant considering that it represents three Assembly constituencies

Both Sukhu and Pratibha Singh congratulated Chauhan and Uma Kaushal after getting elected as Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

Sukhu expressed hope that Shimla city would scale new heights in development and get the various problems of the city solved under their leadership. Pratibha Singh said that all councillors would work unitedly for the development of the civic body and contribute responsibly to address the problems of the people of Shimla and provide modern facilities to the locals and the tourists.