In Jhelum, women will be the trump card

As many as 1,750 female voters are eligible to vote against 1,515 male voters

JHELUM:

Women are expected to play a decisive role in the forthcoming local bodies elections in Jhelum cantonment. Women make up the majority of the voters outnumbering their male counterrparts -- 1,750 to 1, 515.As many as 16 polling stations have been set up for Saturday’s polls in the two wards in the cantonment, where 3,262 voters are registered.

Around 712 male voters and 660 female voters are registered in ward one, whereas 803 male voters and 1,090 female voters are registered in ward two.



The competition comes down to two parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Raja Sanaullah and Qazi Tariq Aslam are contesting on PTI tickets, while Umar Bashir Wynne and Wajid Mehmood Asghar are contesting the elections under the PML-N banner.

Meanwhile in Mangla independent candidates Chaudhry Anwarul Haq and Tariq Khan will contest in ward one, while it is safe to call ward two for Mohammad Riyasat, as he is unopposed.

The real contest will be witnessed in Jhelum, where the PTI and PML-N candidates are running neck-and-neck. Jhelum is considered a PML-N stronghold — the party won all of national and provincial assembly seats in the general elections. Despite the constituency being a PML-N stronghold, PTI candidates did put up a strong fight, which makes the cantonment elections worth following.

PTI’s support comes from the urban population. However, the PML-N governments in Lahore and Islamabad have initiated several development projects in Jhelum, which may help keep their vote base intact.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2015.