Bahawalpur district: Political parties better positioned than independents

Muslim League-Nawaz, Tehreek-i-Insaf and Peoples Party all claim they will win most seats

BAHAWALPUR:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is in a position to sweep the most number of seats in the upcoming local government elections in Bahawalpur district. The second most popular party in the district is the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. These parties seem to have pushed independents to the margins, and yet they have more chances of winning than the Pakistan Peoples Party, which is conspicuous only because of people’s lack of support for it. 

Elections in Bahawalpur are being conducted in the third phase of the local government elections on December 5. More than 1.6 million people will exercise their right to vote in 127 union councils where 3,274 candidates are contesting the elections.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s Bahawalpur Office, 1,255 polling stations have been established – 208 polling stations for men, 208 for women and 835 for both. The ECP has set up 3,695 polling booths – 2,007 for men and 1,688 for women.

The ECP has appointed 23 returning officers, 46 assistant returning officers, 1,045 male presiding officers, 210 female presiding officers, 3,785 male assistant polling officers, 3,185 female polling officers, 2,007 male polling officers and 1,688 female polling officers will observe duties under supervision of the district returning officer.

There are 3,274 candidates contesting the elections, of which three chairmen and 30 councillors have been elected unopposed.

PTI leaders feel that they are in a position to grab a majority of seats in the elections. PTI district president Shaikh Abbas Raza says people are fed up with the PML-N. “The ruling party had promised to restore the Bahawalpur province but they did nothing…they never deliver on their promises. The PTI has always supported the restoration of Bahawalpur province, which is why we feel that the people will vote for us and not the PML-N.”

On the other hand, Cooperatives Minister Mian Muhammad Iqbal Channar says the PML-N-led government has completed record development projects in Bahawalpur.

“This is why Bahawalpur is a stronghold of the PML-N. Our party has a place in the hearts of the people of south Punjab because of the development projects we have started and projects we are planning to implement in coming days.”

Former Pakistan People’s Party MNA Aamir Yar Waran says the PML-N is mistaken when it says it has carried out record development in Bahawalpur. “In fact most of the provincial budget is spent in Lahore...the people do not trust the PML-N. The PPP is set to cash in on the PML-N’s lack of popularity…we are reclaiming lost ground and will hopefully win most of the seats.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2015.