Himachal Pradesh Politics & Governance

BJP wins three of Himachal Pradesh ’s four municipal corporations

1 June 2026

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 37 of the 63 seats across Himachal Pradesh’s four municipal corporations, winning in Mandi, Dharamshala and Solan. The Indian National Congress (Congress) won in Palampur, the only corporation it secured.

The results concern urban local-body elections and do not determine the outcome of the next state Assembly election.

District-level Zila Parishad results reported across Himachal Pradesh

1 June 2026

Results reported from several districts in Himachal Pradesh’s Zila Parishad elections showed strong performances by BJP-supported candidates. They won all four seats reported in Seraj, nine of 14 in Bilaspur and nine of 14 in Kullu; in Solan, BJP candidates won 10 of 17 seats, while Congress won five and independents won two.

In Sirmaur, BJP-supported candidates won all three declared seats in Shillai, with one result still pending. These are district or constituency results, not a final statewide tally.

Key Facts

• The 73rd Constitutional Amendment gave Panchayati Raj institutions constitutional status and established the framework for rural local self-government.

Kamlesh Kumar Pant receives additional charge as Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary

1 June 2026

The Himachal Pradesh government assigned senior IAS officer Kamlesh Kumar Pant the additional charge of Chief Secretary after Sanjay Gupta’s retirement. A Personnel Department order dated 1 June made the arrangement effective immediately.

Pant, a 1993-batch officer, was already serving as Additional Chief Secretary for Revenue, Finance Commissioner (Revenue), Additional Chief Secretary for Forests, Home and Vigilance, and chairperson of the state pollution control board.

Key Facts

• The IAS is one of three All India Services, whose members serve both the Union and state governments.

Himachal Pradesh opens Census 2027 self-enumeration

1 June 2026

Himachal Pradesh opened self-enumeration for the first phase of Census 2027, allowing residents to submit household details online from 1 to 15 June. Governor Kavinder Gupta inaugurated the process by registering on the self-enumeration portal and urged residents to participate.

House-listing and housing census work was scheduled for 16 June to 15 July, with enumerators visiting households to collect details on homes, families and basic facilities. Residents who completed self-enumeration could share their generated ID with enumerators.

Key Facts

• India’s census is governed by the Census Act, 1948, and conducted by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Union Home Ministry.

HPRCA seeks evidence of JBT recruitment and TET examination clashes

2 June 2026

The Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog asked candidates to report by 5 June if their JBT recruitment computer-based test and Teacher Eligibility Test fell on the same day. The JBT examination for post code 26015 was scheduled for 13, 14 and 16 June, alongside TET examinations in different subjects.

Candidates were asked to email supporting evidence, including their TET admit card. The commission said it could consider partial changes to the JBT schedule, subject to examination arrangements.

Key Facts

• TET assesses eligibility for primary and upper-primary teaching; the Right to Education Act, 2009, established it as a minimum qualification for elementary teachers.

Pathankot–Jogindernagar train services resume after bridge reconstruction

2 June 2026

Regular train services resumed on the 164-km Pathankot–Jogindernagar narrow-gauge route after reconstruction of the Chakki River railway bridge. The new bridge was built at a reported cost of about ₹70 crore, and railway officials inspected the track and conducted a trial before regular services resumed.

Key Facts

• The route’s Neale’s Ball Token signalling system helps prevent two trains entering the same single-line section.

Himachal Pradesh High Court seeks explanation over Shimla US Club gate demolition

2 June 2026

The Himachal Pradesh High Court took suo motu cognisance of the demolition of Shimla’s US Club gate during road widening and sought responses from the Public Works Department Secretary and the Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner. The court questioned the removal of the structure and said its components could have been preserved or restored, including by rebuilding the gate in its earlier design.

Supreme Court Collegium recommends three judges for Himachal Pradesh High Court

2 June 2026

The Supreme Court Collegium recommended judicial officers Chirag Bhanu Singh, Bhupesh Sharma and Yogesh Jaswal for appointment as judges of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The recommendation, made ...