BJP Sweeps Municipal Elections in Mandi and Dharamshala

In the Mandi Municipal Corporation, the BJP performed most impressively, winning 12 of the 14 wards. The Congress and an independent candidate won one seat each. The Mandi Municipal Corporation had been dominated by the BJP in the past and the party strengthened it further this time. After the election results were out, BJP workers celebrated in the city and called it a people's mandate on the policies of the state government. In the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation too, the BJP wrested power from the Congress, winning 11 of the 17 seats. The Congress had to settle for five seats, while one seat went to an independent candidate. The BJP's victory in Dharamshala is being seen as a result of its organisational strategy and grip on local issues.