Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 3 : In a significant move ahead of the formation of new urban local bodies, the Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday declared the offices of Mayor in four Municipal Corporations Solan, Palampur, Mandi and Dharamshala, as unreserved for a period of five years.
According to a notification issued by Principal Secretary (Urban Development) Devesh Kumar, the decision has been taken by the Governor of Himachal Pradesh under the provisions of Section 36 of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, read with Rule 12 of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation (Election) Rules, 2012.
The notification specifies that the mayoral offices in the four civic bodies will remain open to candidates from all categories during the five-year term, a move expected to significantly influence political equations and candidate selection in the forthcoming municipal administrations.
The communication has been sent to the State Election Commission, Director of Urban Development, Director of Information and Public Relations, Deputy Commissioners of Solan, Mandi and Kangra districts, and the Municipal Commissioners of Solan, Mandi, Dharamshala and Palampur.
The decision paves the way for a wider pool of aspirants to contest for the mayoral posts in the four key urban centres of the state.
Meanwhile, BJP Chief Spokesperson and MLA Randhir Sharma on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on moral grounds, claiming that the ruling Congress government had lost the confidence of the people following its performance in the recently concluded urban local body and Panchayati Raj Institution elections in Himachal Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Sharma described the elections as the "semi-final" before the next Assembly elections and alleged that the results reflected growing public dissatisfaction with the Congress government.
"The people of Himachal Pradesh have withdrawn their confidence from the Congress government. Having lost the semi-final, the Chief Minister should resign on moral grounds and seek a fresh mandate from the people," he said.