“Himachal Panchayat Polls: Symbols Allotted Today; 85,462 Candidates in Fray”

May 15, 2026

Shimla: All candidates contesting the Panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh will be allotted their ‘Election Symbols’ today. Before this, interested individuals will have the opportunity to withdraw their nominations until 3:00 PM. Once the nomination withdrawal process is complete, the picture will become entirely clear regarding exactly how many candidates remain in the fray for each specific post within every panchayat.

Currently, there are 85,462 candidates in the field across the state’s 3,754 panchayats. Following the withdrawal of nominations, this number is expected to decrease slightly. Subsequently, election campaigning is set to gain momentum. At this stage, it will also be revealed how many Panchayats, as well as how many ‘Pradhans’ (heads), ‘Up-Pradhans’ (deputy heads), Ward Members, BDC (Block Development Council) members, and District Council members are elected unopposed.

This will be officially announced by the State Election Commission. In Himachal, voting for 31,214 posts, including ‘Pradhan,’ ‘Up-Pradhans,’ Ward Members, BDC members, and District Council members will take place on May 26 (Phase 1), May 28 (Phase 2) and May 30 (Phase 3).

Counting for ‘Pradhans’ and ‘Up-Pradhans’ on the Day of Voting

The counting of votes for ‘Pradhans, Up-Pradhans’, and Ward Members will be conducted at the respective Panchayat Bhawans (Panchayat buildings) on the very day of voting, and the results will be declared on the same day. The counting of votes for BDC and District Council members will take place on May 31 at the respective block headquarters.

3,754 ‘Pradhans’ to be Elected

In these elections, 3,754 ‘Pradhans,’ 3,754 ‘Up-Pradhans,’ 21,654 Ward Members, 1,769 BDC members, and 251 District Council members will be elected. Each voter will cast five votes (one each for the ‘Pradhan,’ ‘Up-Pradhan,’ Ward Member, BDC member and District Council member).

On election day, there is a holiday

On the days set aside for voting in each of the three phases, there will be a paid holiday. Leave will be provided to all workers in both the public and private sectors. The holiday will only apply on the day that the local election is held.