Governor Shukla questions states stance as Himachal faces row over timely panchayat polls

CHANDIGARH: Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla today took a dig at the Congress-led state government over the ongoing face-off between the government and the State Election Commission (SEC) regarding the timely conduct of the panchayat elections. He asked the government to decide if the minister is bigger or the bureaucrat. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Audit Week launch in Shimla, the Governor said that holding panchayat elections is a constitutional arrangement and everyone must follow the Constitution. Asking the government to decide if the minister is bigger or the bureaucrat, Shukla said, The ministers are saying elections would be held on time, while the bureaucrats working under them, including seven deputy commissioners, have reported that they are unable to prepare for the elections in the present circumstances. Both cannot be true at the same time. There would be an atmosphere of instability in the state if the Vidhan Sabha elections are not held on time, and as far as the panchayat elections are concerned, both the State Election Commission and the government should sit and resolve the issue to hold the elections, as postponing the polls would not be conducive to democracy, he added. Shukla said he had received a closed envelope from the State Election Commissioner on Friday, but he had not yet opened it. Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta has met State Election Commissioner Anil Khachi. Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Secretary C. Paulrasu also met Khachi, and it was conveyed on behalf of the state government that it would not be possible to hold the elections before 30 January, 2026. Gupta has also conveyed to the SEC that the delimitation of some panchayats, as per the Cabinets decision, may be allowed. In a notification issued on 9 October, Chief Secretary and Chairman of the State Executive Committee Sanjay Gupta had announced that the polls would be held only after the restoration of proper connectivity, considering the damage to roads and private and public property during the monsoon season. The issue of deferment of the panchayat elections is scheduled to come up for hearing before the Himachal Pradesh High Court on 22 December. On the other hand, State Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, along with other ministers, has maintained that the elections would be held on time. The elections to over 3,500 gram panchayats in the state are slated to be held in December and January 2026. The last date for conducting the elections is 23 January, and the State Election Commission has initiated the process with the preparation of electoral rolls.