Over 17,774 candidates are in the running for 914 seats of councilors in the local government (LG) polls across 32 districts of Balochistan.
Political parties and their candidates have already geared up their electioneering for the polls.
Local bodies’ elections are scheduled to be held across the province on May 29 with the exception of Quetta and Lasbella.
Over 6,000 candidates have withdrawn their nomination papers.
Blames and counter-blames are also not uncommon as former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has complained that the Health Minister Syed Ehsan Shah was busy in electioneering.
He should visit Dera Bugti to address grievances of the people rather than campaigning in Turbat for LG polls, he said.
Hitting back, Ehsan Shah observed that medicines, doctors and all necessary goods had already been dispatched to the cholera-hit Dera Bugti.
“Campaigning is my political right,” he said.
The Elections Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allotted electoral symbols to the candidates. ECP has already finalized arrangements for the LG polls.
Elections are being held on the basis of party affiliation, the spokesman of the Balochistan Provincial Election Commission said.
Candidates hailing from the ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Balochistan National Party (BNP), National Party (NP), Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), Awami National Party (ANP) are ready for the grand contest.
There is likely to be a tough contest between supporters of BNP Mengal, NP, BNP Awami and BAP in Khuzdar, Noshki, Mastung, Kalat, Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Kohlu, Dera Bugti and other areas.
However, there is likely to be tough competition between the candidates of JUI F, PKMAP, BAP, ANP and other independent candidates in Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Zhob, Loralai, Killa Saifullah and other parts of the province.
Most of the political parties have also expressed serious concern over the flaws in delimitations.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 15th, 2022.
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