Himachal Civic Polls 2026: Voting concludes across urban bodies amid high voter turnout
Shashi Bhushan Purohit
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), May 17, 2026: Voting for the 2026 Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in Himachal Pradesh concluded peacefully on Saturday across four municipal corporations and 51 urban local bodies, with strong voter participation reported from several districts.
Long queues were seen at polling booths from early morning as youth, women and senior citizens turned out enthusiastically to cast their votes. Polling was conducted from 7 am to 3 pm at 589 polling stations across the state.
In Shimla district, an overall voter turnout of 77.36 per cent was recorded by 3 pm in two municipal councils and six nagar panchayats. Jubbal Nagar Panchayat recorded one of the highest turnouts at 88.93 per cent, while Theog Municipal Council saw 80.37 per cent voting.
Polling continued beyond 3 pm in several areas of Solan and Sirmaur districts as voters who had arrived before the deadline remained in queues to exercise their franchise. In Solan Municipal Corporation, voting continued at some booths till around 3:20 pm.
In Una district, around 77 per cent voting was recorded in two municipal councils and four nagar panchayats. Elections were held across 48 wards with 118 candidates in the fray.
Kullu district reported a voter turnout of 51.16 per cent by afternoon. Banjar Nagar Panchayat recorded 66.71 per cent voting, while Nirmand registered nearly 63 per cent turnout.
According to officials, Mandi district recorded an overall turnout of 52.46 per cent by 1 pm in elections held for Mandi Municipal Corporation and several municipal councils and nagar panchayats. Volunteers were deployed at polling booths to assist elderly and differently-abled voters.
In Sirmaur district, voting reached 57.66 per cent by 1 pm, with Rajgarh Nagar Panchayat recording the highest turnout at 65 per cent.
Meanwhile, Dharamshala Municipal Corporation recorded 42.24 per cent voting by afternoon, while Bhota Nagar Panchayat reported over 73 per cent turnout.
Election officials said polling remained largely peaceful across the state, with extensive security arrangements in place at polling stations.
Counting for the four municipal corporation elections will take place on May 31, while results for the remaining urban local bodies are expected later on Saturday evening. The close contests in several wards have heightened anticipation among candidates and supporters.