The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the state government over a public interest litigation challenging its decision to extend the tenure of the Shimla mayor and deputy mayor from two-and-a-half years to five years.
A division bench of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj sought responses from the state government, the State Election Commission, the Urban Development Department, and Shimla Mayor Surinder Chauhan. The matter will be heard next on November 11.
On October 25, the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had approved the extension, saying that the shorter tenure was creating “apprehension of horse trading” and that aligning the term with that of Panchayati Raj institutions—five years—would ensure stability.
The decision directly benefits Mayor Surinder Chauhan, whose two-and-a-half-year term was set to end on November 15, after which the post was to be reserved for a woman under the rotation roster.
The PIL, filed by advocate Anjali Soni Verma, contends that the extension violates the existing reservation roster, under which a Scheduled Caste woman councillor was supposed to assume office for the remaining half of the term. She pointed out that the Shimla Municipal Corporation has 21 women out of 34 councillors, and the cabinet’s move has effectively deprived them of their constitutional opportunity.
The issue has also caused unrest within the corporation. During a recent general house meeting, several councillors protested the decision, alleging that the ordinance to extend the tenure was passed hastily without proper consultation. BJP councillors staged demonstrations, and even some Congress members voiced dissatisfaction over the alteration of the roster.
The High Court will now examine whether the state government’s decision aligns with constitutional and statutory provisions governing local body administration and reservation norms.
