News Analysis |
One of the many closely contested political battlegrounds in the upcoming general elections will be Chakwal district. On the 25th of July both PML-N and PTI will be eyeing the district’s two national and four provincial assembly seats. PPP and MMA have also fielded their candidates with a total number of 53 contestants from various parties participating in the elections.
Returning officers and local administration for the district have allotted special security status to 74 polling stations where the competition would be toughest. PTI’s Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Dulha is facing PML-N candidate Major (retd) Tahir Iqbal at NA-64. Earlier Sardar Ghulam Abbas of PTI forfeit the election race once the Supreme Court rejected his nomination papers allegedly on grounds of not providing his full assets.
There is a chance however that the arrest of former PML-N Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz could garner sympathy vote in favor of PML-N since the district has remained a PML-N stronghold since 1988.
Sardar Ghulam Abbas announced his support for PTI candidates and owing to his massive personal following PTI does hold a slight edge over PML-N. Ch. Sultan Haider Ali of PML-N will face Raja Yasir Sarfraz of PTI and a keen contest is expected on the PP-21 seat. In PP-20, Malik Tanveer Aslam Sethi looks to consolidate a PML-N stronghold against Raja Tariq Afzal Kallas of PTI as well as PPP contender; Raja Rizwan Dandot.
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Chaudhry Parvez Elahi of PML-Q with substantial PTI support is facing off against Sardar Faiz Tamman of PML-N in NA-65. Sardar Mumtaz Tamman was a residing PML-N MNA who was later denied a party ticket and ultimately ended up supporting Ch. Parvez Elahi’s claim. Sardar Mansoor Tamman, was refused a ticket by PTI for the same seat and is hence contesting independently. Meanwhile, Sardar Aftab Akbar of PTI is facing Col. Mushtaq Ahmed Awan of PML-N in PP-23.
One of the many closely contested political battlegrounds in the upcoming general elections will be Chakwal district. On the 25th of July both PML-N and PTI will be eyeing the district’s two national and four provincial assembly seats.
Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan had returned PML-N’s ticket for this seat and instead accepted PTI’s ticket at NA-64 after Sardar Ghulam Abbas’s nomination papers were rejected. Hafiz Ammar Yasir of PML-Q who also enjoys PTI’s backing is set against Shahryar Awan of PML-N at PP-24. For Chakwal District’s 1.5 million residents, the tension between political parties has been lost on them since the general elections have been somewhat socially dull as compared to previous ones.
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Understandably with bigwigs such as Sardar Ghulam Abbas not being involved in the contest while the Tamman family is divided upon itself, the pomp of old is not to be found. If accountability meant stricter electoral guidelines, the excitement of competition has not been translated into large public meetings, where usually local votes are “bought”. Hence PTI and PML-N have seen no point in conducting such rallies when the common methods of productivity cannot be utilized.
There is a chance however that the arrest of former PML-N Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz could garner sympathy vote in favor of PML-N since the district has remained a PML-N stronghold since 1988.