Shimla: The long wait is almost over. The State Election Commission, headed by Anil Khachi, is likely to announce the much-awaited schedule for the Panchayati Raj elections later this afternoon, around 3:40 pm, setting the stage for a grassroots electoral battle across the state.
Even before the formal dates are out, the mood on the ground tells its own story — elections have, in effect, already begun.
Across Himachal’s more than 3,798 gram panchayats, aspiring pradhans, up-pradhans, ward members, BDC and Zila Parishad candidates have hit the ground running.
Door-to-door visits, quiet caste equations, late-night lobbings, and local alliances are shaping up in villages, with candidates testing their strength well ahead of the official poll notification.
The Commission has already done its groundwork, issuing the final voter lists and readying administrative machinery in place.
Poll staff, logistics, and booth-level arrangements are reportedly ready, indicating that the announcement today could quickly translate into a tight election calendar.
However, a legal cloud still lingers. A petition pending before the High Court of Himachal Pradesh has raised objections over the creation and bifurcation of certain panchayats.
Disputes over village alignments and new panchayat boundaries are yet to be adjudicated.
Sources indicate that the Commission may either temporarily exclude these disputed panchayats from the poll process or proceed subject to the court’s final orders.
The urgency is not without reason. The Supreme Court of India has directed the state to complete elections to Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies by May 31.
Acting under this timeline, the state government and the Election Commission have moved in sync to ensure compliance with the apex court’s directive.
Interestingly, though these elections are officially non-party, political undercurrents are hard to miss.
Major parties read MLAs are quietly backing candidates, mobilising local leaders, and stitching alliances at the grassroots level.
The panchayats battleground may not carry party symbols, but the political stakes are high.
With the formal announcement just hours away, Himachal’s villages are already in election mode — alliances forming, rivalries sharpening, and democracy once again unfolding at its most grassroots level.
