Shimla, Apr 30 (PTI) The high-pitched campaign for the May 2 Shimla civic body polls that saw the two main contenders the Congress and the BJP field their profile leaders in the last phase of the hustings ended on Sunday evening.
Hailstorms and rains played spoilsport on the last day of the campaigning, dampening the spirit of candidates and their supporters.
A total of 102 candidates are in the fray for the 34 wards of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC). The polls are being contested on party symbols.
The BJP, which seeks to retain power in the civic body, has promised a 50-per cent rebate in garbage bills and toilets, parking facilities and open gymnasiums in every ward.
The party, which came to power at the Shimla Municipal Corporation for the first time in 2017, is also banking on the development projects launched by it under the Smart City plan, a Rs 1,813-crore scheme to ensure 24×7 water supply to people and the construction of a second tunnel at Dhalli.
The Congress, on the other hand, promised to take concrete measures for the regularisation of multi-storied buildings, clearance of building plans submitted before 2017 and enforcement of a uniform tax regime for both old and merged areas under the civic body.
The other highlights of the grand old party’s manifesto included making Shimla drug-free, taxi services to hospitals and other places, construction of ropeways to decongest the town, widening of roads and extending the time of night buses within the civic body areas.
Union minister Anurag Thakur, Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur, state BJP chief and other top leaders campaigned for party candidates and held road shows and rallies.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, his deputy Mukesh Agnihotri, state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, ministers and other senior leaders spearheaded the party’s campaign.
The Congress, in its bid to corner the BJP over its poll promises, has sought to know what prevented it from implementing those when it was in power in the civic body, the state and the Centre.
As many as 102 candidates are in the fray with the Congress and BJP contesting from all 34 wards while the AAP and CPI(M) have fielded candidates from 21 and four wards respectively. The list of candidates also includes nine Independents.
While 17 wards are reserved for women, the BJP and Congress have fielded 23 and 18 female candidates.
The day of polling has been declared a public holiday in the areas of Municipal Corporation Shimla. It would be a paid holiday for daily wages employees also. PTI BPL NSD NSD
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