The opposition BJP on Jattvibeday registered an impressive victory in three of the four municipal corporation elections in Himachal Pradesh, setting off alarm bells for the ruling Congress with the Assembly poll being nearly 18 months away.In the 17-member Dharamsala and Solan MCs, the BJP won 11 and 10 wards, respectively, while the Congress secured five and six wards. One ward each was won by an Independent candidate.Of the 15 wards in the Mandi MC, the BJP won 12 while one each was bagged by the Congress and an Independent. Polling in one ward was deferred. In Palampur, the Congress won 11 of the 15 wards while the BJP bagged the remaining four. Overall, the BJP won 37 wards across the four MCs while the Congress secured 23.“The BJP’s win in three of the four prestigious civic bodies will bolster the party’s fight against the ruling Congress. These elections were widely seen as a semi-final ahead of the 2027 Assembly poll,” said a BJP leader. A poll analyst described the results as a setback for the Congress, saying the party would require serious introspection and corrective measures.Though both the Congress and the BJP have been making counter-claims to victory in the 47 urban local body elections, only the polls to the four MCs were fought on party symbol.Refuting the BJP’s claims of victory, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “The Congress has won 29 urban local bodies compared to 21 by the BJP.” He claimed the ruling party had also received massive support in the panchayat elections.Former CM and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur termed the results a “reflection on the anti-people policies and poor performance of the Congress regime, which is on its way out”.The BJP’s strong showing in Mandi, the home turf of Jai Ram, is expected to further consolidate his position within the party amid an ongoing power tussle ahead of the Assembly elections. The results also underline the influence of local MLA Anil Sharma, son of former Union Minister Sukh Ram, in the constituency.The Congress victory in Palampur has once again brought to the fore the leadership skills of local MLA Ashish Butail, who is being credited with keeping the party’s flag flying high.The BJP’s victory in Dharamsala reflects the growing clout of local MLA Sudhir Sharma, who switched from the Congress to the BJP nearly two years ago. On the other hand, the Congress defeat in Solan has raised questions over the leadership of local MLA and Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, who spearheaded the party’s campaign in the civic polls.