Shimla, Sept. 10 -- The BJP-backed candidates Bhupender Sisodiya and Bharat Klanta were elected Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, of the Shimla Zila Parishad on Thursday, with the party hailing the outcome as a major political setback for the ruling Congress ahead of the 2027 Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

The BJP said its candidates had succeeded in taking control of the Shimla Zila Parishad after nearly two decades, describing the victory as an indication of changing political equations in the district, traditionally considered a stronghold of the Congress.

Newly elected Zila Parishad Chairman Bhupender Sisodiya thanked the people of Shimla district for supporting the BJP-backed candidates and assured that the new leader...