A direct contest between Congress and BJP-supported candidates will take place in Wards 1 to 7. Ward 8 has become a three-cornered fight with Independent candidate Shashi Pal entering the fray, while Ward 9 will witness a similar contest due to Independent candidate Ashwani Kaundal. None of the 20 candidates withdrew their nomination papers on the last day of withdrawal, May 6.
A total of 8,298 electors from nine municipal wards will cast their votes to decide the fate of 20 candidates. Returning Officer Arun Sharma said Ward 1 has 686 voters — 360 men and 326 women; Ward 2 has 1,022 voters (505 men, 517 women); Ward 3 has 1,099 voters (545 men, 553 women) and Ward 4 has 675 voters (332 men, 343 women). Ward 5 has 1,092 voters (554 men, 538 women); Ward 6 has 844 voters (438 men, 406 women); Ward 7 has the highest electorate with 1,245 voters (618 men, 627 women); Ward 8 has 823 voters (411 men, 412 women) and Ward 9 has 812 voters (395 men, 417 women).
Candidates have intensified door-to-door campaigning since filing nominations, reaching out to every household seeking support. BJP-backed candidates are highlighting development works undertaken during the tenure of the outgoing council, including installation of streetlights, construction of streets and market roads with interlocking tiles, drains and protection walls through Local Area Development Funds (LADF) released by local BJP MLA Ranbir Nikka and Kangra MP Rajiv Bhardwaj over the past three-and-a-half years.
The BJP camp has alleged that the Congress-led state government discriminated against the BJP-supported civic body by withholding development funds for the town. BJP candidates have also accused local Congress leaders of exerting political pressure to delay or stall development works being executed through LADF, in a bid to create anti-incumbency against the outgoing council.
Congress-supported candidates, led by former MLA Ajay Mahajan and family members of former MC president late RK Mahajan, are reminding voters of development works undertaken during previous Congress-backed municipal councils. They are also targeting the outgoing BJP-supported MC over what they describe as its failure to ensure overall development of the town. Most Congress-backed candidates are prominently invoking the legacy of late RK Mahajan, remembered as a noted philanthropist and former municipal council president. Political observers believe that the perception of anti-incumbency against the outgoing BJP-supported MC could work in favour of Congress-backed candidates in the civic polls.
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