Even as the state gears up for the second phase of polling for 1,276 panchayats scheduled on Thursday, both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engage in claims to have outdone each other in the phase 1 of the panchayat elections in which results were declared for 1,293 panchayats on May 26.Even as the state gears up for the second phase of polling for 1,276 panchayats scheduled on Thursday, both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engage in claims to have outdone each other in the phase 1 of the panchayat elections in which results were declared for 1,293 panchayats on May 26.As per the state commission, in the second phase votes will be polled for 1,276 panchayats in the state. The voting will begin at 7 am and continue till 3 pm in which 17.30 lakh voters will cast their votes of which 8.74 lakh are men, 8.55 lakh are women and 17 are others (transgenders).People have appreciated our policies: SukhuChief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the victory of Congress-backed candidates in panchayat polls reflects public appreciation for the state government’s policies and welfare initiatives.“The panchayat elections are not fought on party symbols, but the victory of Congress-supported pradhans and candidates on various posts is a clear indication that people have appreciated the policies and announcements of the Congress government,” Sukhu said.Taking a dig at the BJP, state Congress president Vinay Kumar declared that the people of the state have “completely rejected the party”.He said, “The public support garnered during the Panchayati Raj Institution elections, in appreciation of the pro-people initiatives being undertaken by the state government stands as irrefutable proof that the Congress is poised to form the government once again in the upcoming assembly elections scheduled for next year”.Historic and resounding victory: Bindal BJP state president Dr Rajiv Bindal stated that candidates backed by the BJP have achieved a historic and resounding victory in the first phase of the panchayati raj elections in Himachal.He said voting concluded on May 26 across 1,293 panchayats in the state and according to reports, BJP-backed candidates for the posts of pradhan and up-pradhan registered a magnificent victory in approximately 75% of these panchayats.Former CM and leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, who has been camping in Mandi, said, “In the Seraj region, the BJP delivered an unprecedented performance in the first phase, hoisting its victory flag in 25 out of the region’s 28 panchayats, while the Congress was left to settle for a mere two seats.” Seraj is the constituency of Thakur.He expressed confidence that the “formation of a BJP government in the state in the near future is a certainty”.Re-polling in one ward of Sambal gram panchayat The state election commission had decided to conduct re-polling in one ward of gram panchayat Sambal under the Tissa Development Block of Chamba district.The state election commission in a statement on Wednesday said that in Ward No. 2 of Gram Panchayat Sambal under Tissa Development Block of Chamba district, the election has been postponed because the presiding officer allowed some voters to cast their votes along with companions. However, as per the rules, the presiding officer failed to obtain the required declaration from such companion voters on the prescribed form, which compromised the fairness of the voting process.Therefore, the commission has decided to conduct re-polling in this ward. Voting in this ward will now take place on May 30, and the counting of votes and declaration of results will be done on May 31, 2026.Additionally, in Gram Panchayat Banah-Bheeni of Pachhad Development Block in Sirmaur district, the counting process for the zila parishad election had been suspended after a zila parishad ballot box was mistakenly exchanged with a panchayat election ballot box. The counting for the said panchayat will be completed today under police security.