Intense battles define National Assembly contests in Okara

OKARA:

As the electoral fervour heightens in Okara, the spotlight is on the NA constituencies shaping the district's political landscape.

The total population of Okara district is 3,515,490, with a total of 2,038,034 registered voters. Among them, male voters are 1,117,000, and female voters are 948,450.

Okara district comprises three tehsils: Okara, Depalpur, and Renala Khurd. The district has four seats in the National Assembly and eight seats in the Provincial Assembly.

The NA-135 constituency in Okara, encompassing Sadar Gogera, Renala, and Gordonoa, has a total of 520,533 registered voters, with 281,909 male voters and 238,624 female voters.

There will be 1,135 polling booths set up in this constituency, including 592 for men and 543 for women.

In this constituency, a fierce competition is anticipated between Nadeem Abbas Rabira of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), independent candidate Akram Bhatti Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Ghulam Mujtaba Kharral of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Rabira was elected as MNA from this constituency in 2018 and also in 2013.

He will face tough competition from Akram Bhatti, who has served as the Tehsil Nazim of Renala Khurd. Ghulam Mujtaba Kharral, representing PPP, has previously been elected as MNA from this constituency.

This constituency is expected to witness a challenging contest between the PML-N and PTI candidates.

Historically, PML-N has been successful in this area, but this time, there seems to be a leaning towards the Muslim League-N, although PTI candidate Akram Bhatti faces challenges due to his independent status.

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Situated in Okara city and surrounding areas, NA 136 emerges as the epicentre with 255,996 registered voters.

A diverse field of 19 candidates, spanning various political affiliations, adds complexity to the race. Independent contenders, particularly from PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), take centre stage, with the People's Party making strides.

Notably, Chaudhry Riazul Haque Judge of PML-N, a seasoned campaigner, faces off against PTI's independent candidate Rao Hasan Sikandar, aiming for a repeat of his 2018 triumph.

NA 137, predominantly rural, witnesses a head-to-head clash between PML-N's Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan and the independent candidate of Tehreek-e-Insaf, Syed Raza Ali Gilani.

The political arena is charged with anticipation, with Syed Ali Raza Gilani securing backing from influential groups, setting the stage for an intense competition. Factional differences within PML-N, resulting in Rao Ajmal fielding his son Saad Ajmal independently, inject uncertainty into the electoral landscape.

Stretching across villages and sharing borders with India, NA 138 is set to witness an interesting political contest. The sibling rivalry between former Punjab chief minister Mian Manzoor Ahmad Khan Wattoo and independent candidate Mian Muhammad Moin Khan Wattoo is also drawing public attention.

The dynamics suggest Mian Muhammad Moin Khan Watto's strong position, fuelled by factional shifts favouring the PML-N.

In the 2018 elections, PML-N secured a victory across Okara, claiming four NA and seven Provincial Assembly seats.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2024.