Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said the panchayati raj elections have not been cancelled and would be held once road connectivity is restored.

“Our priority is to provide relief to the disaster-hit people whose houses have been completely or partially damaged and give compensation to the victims,” he told reporters here.

“BJP leaders are making planned attempts to malign my image,” Sukhu alleged.

His charge came a day after the elections were postponed, a move that the opposition BJP termed a “pre-planned, anti-people act”.

The panchayati raj elections in the state were scheduled to be held between December and January 2026. The last date for conducting the elections is January 23.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh had said that if connectivity is restored by December-January, the elections would be held on schedule.

Chief Secretary and chairman of the State Executive Committee Sanjay Gupta had announced that the polls will be held “only after restoration of proper connectivity”, considering the damage to roads and private and public property.

The notification pointed out that massive damage was caused during the monsoons this year. From June to September, 47 cloudbursts, 98 flash floods, and 148 major landslides were reported in the state, and 270 people died in rain-related incidents, it said.

As many as 1,817 houses were fully damaged, and 8,323 houses were partially damaged during the natural calamities. The total loss was pegged at Rs 5,426 crore.

Due to the continued rainfall, the respective deputy commissioners were unable to connect panchayat roads, the notification added.

The BJP leaders in the state accused the Congress government of being reluctant to “face people” due to its poor performance and failure to implement its poll promises.