With around a year to go before the 2027 Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP’s victory in three of the state’s four municipal corporation polls has provided the Opposition with a boost and an opportunity to test its narrative against the ruling Congress government.For the Congress, the results – the first major urban electoral verdict since the Congress returned to power in the hill state in 2022 – have raised questions within the party about its organisational strength and urban outreach while emboldening the BJP’s claim that public sentiment is turning against the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government.The outcome has also triggered calls within the Congress for introspection and a stronger ground-level organisational push as both parties begin positioning themselves for the next Assembly battle.The Urban Local Body (ULB) elections, along with polls to rural local bodies, were originally due in January but were delayed after the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government cited the lingering impact of the 2025 floods. The elections were eventually held following directions from the Himachal Pradesh High Court.While the BJP secured clear majorities in the municipal corporations of Solan, Mandi and Dharamshala, Sukhu has sought to present a more his own interpretation of the verdict. According to him, at least two of those victories were shaped more by the influence of local leaders than by the BJP’s organisational strength.Congress leaders, including Himachal Congress chief Vinay Kumar, have acknowledged the setback but argue that the party performed better in the broader ULB and gram panchayat elections.On Tuesday, Vinay Kumar said the party would undertake a detailed review of the municipal corporation results. Reports would be sought from election observers and district-level leaders before discussions on strengthening the organisation, he added.The local factor in Mandi and DharamshalaStory continues below this adSukhu’s argument centres on Mandi and Dharamshala, both represented by influential BJP legislators with Congress roots.Mandi MLA Anil Sharma, a five-time legislator and son of former Union Minister late Pandit Sukhram, continues to command significant influence in the district. Before joining the BJP, Sharma was elected three times on a Congress ticket.Similarly, Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma is a former Congress minister who joined the BJP after the Rajya Sabha election controversy in 2024 and later retained his Assembly seat in a bypoll.“Municipal corporation elections are always influenced by local MLAs. Around 30 to 40% of the votes can be attributed to the sitting MLA’s influence. Leaders like Anil Sharma in Mandi, Sudhir Sharma in Dharamshala and Ashish Butail in Palampur have their own political impact,” he said.Story continues below this adTaking a swipe at former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Sukhu claimed the BJP’s success in Mandi owed more to Anil Sharma’s influence than to the party leadership.“The BJP won the Mandi municipal corporation, but the credit goes to local MLA Anil Sharma and not to Thakur. The influence of late Sukhram still works in Mandi,” he said.The BJP has dismissed this interpretation. Speaking to The Indian Express, Thakur described the results as a rejection of the Sukhu government’s performance and accused the CM of attempting to deflect attention from the Congress defeat. “Only to cover up his defeat in these elections, which are being viewed as a semi-final before the Assembly elections, is the CM making such statements,” Thakur said.While acknowledging Anil Sharma’s influence, Thakur maintained that the victories belonged to the BJP. “It is correct to some extent that Anil Sharma’s influence contributed to the Mandi result. But it is still a BJP victory. The BJP is a disciplined party with a committed cadre,” he said.Biggest setback in SolanStory continues below this adIf Mandi and Dharamshala have sparked debate over political ownership, Solan has emerged as the most worrying result for the Congress.The ruling party holds all five Assembly constituencies in Solan district — Solan, Arki, Doon, Kasauli and Nalagarh with state Health Minister Col (Dr) Dhani Ram Shandil representing the Solan seat. Yet Congress failed to win not only the municipal corporation but also several other local bodies in the district.Sukhu too acknowledged the setback. “I had hoped we would win at least two municipal corporations, including Palampur and Solan. Despite having five Congress MLAs in Solan district, we failed to win a single urban local body there. We certainly made some mistakes,” he said.The result has also strengthened the position of Himachal BJP president Rajeev Bindal, who hails from Solan and is widely credited within party circles for building the BJP’s organisational network in the district.Story continues below this adA senior Congress leader pointed to the contrast between Solan and Palampur – the only municipal corporation that the Congress won. “There is no doubt that local MLAs influence local elections. That happened in Palampur. But if that is the case, why did Congress MLAs fail to deliver in Solan district and parts of Kangra district? Congress managed to win Palampur largely because of Butail’s influence,” the leader said.Why the results matterThe significance of the municipal corporation elections lies in the fact that they were among the few urban contests fought directly on party symbols.Of the 53 ULBs that went to polls, only four Municipal Corporations — Solan, Mandi, Dharamshala and Palampur — witnessed direct BJP-versus-Congress contests. The BJP won three of them.In Solan, the BJP secured 10 of the 17 wards. In Mandi, it won 12 of the 14 wards that went to polls. In Dharamshala, it captured 11 of the 17 wards. Congress found consolation in Palampur, where it won 11 of the 15 wards.Story continues below this adAt the same time, Sukhu has highlighted Congress’s broader performance across urban local bodies. According to him, Congress secured control of 29 of the 53 ULBs, compared to the BJP’s 21, while three remained evenly balanced.The BJP, however, insists that the verdict carries greater political significance because it reflects direct party-to-party contests.