The battle for Mardan begins

MARDAN:

Like other regions of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, leading politicians are engaged in frantic efforts to grab the maximum number of seats for their groups or parties in local government elections in Mardan.

However, conspicuous by its absence is the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which unlike Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, is nowhere to be seen. All this while, the ruling party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has intensified its electioneering.

As for local players, the influential Nawabs of Hoti seem divided while the Khans, which include former chief minister Amir Haider Hoti, are united.

Against the grain

Although Pakistan Peoples Party is part of the tripartite alliance along with Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl in most of the province, it has joined hands with Jamaat-e-Islami for this region.

Former federal and provincial minister Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti and sitting independent MPA Jamshed Mohmand are making efforts to emerge as the leaders of their own independent groups by fielding their candidates for districts and tehsil seats.

The power of 75

Mardan, Takht Bhai and Katlang are the three tehsils of the district where people will elect 46, 17 and 12 town councillors, respectively.

The ANP and JUI-F entered their alliance for these elections by fielding an equal number of candidates for all 75 district and tehsil councillor offices.

PPP and JI alliance is trying to cover the maximum number of union councils in Mardan. The PTI has also fielded its candidates in all 75 districts and town wards. PML-N has not put forward a single election hopeful.

Aftab Sherpao’s Qaumi Watan Party, which played a key role in destablising ANP in the 2013 general elections, is now considered a spent political force. Most of its districts-level office bearers recently resigned and joined other parties.

Former federal minister Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti, despite his flip-flopping antics, is considered a major player in his own individual capacity. He has fielded allies as candidates on 28 out of 75 union council seats.

Also, Mohmand, who is the brother of slain MPA Imran Khan Mohmand, is trying his best to form a strong group in his native Takht Bhai tehsil by fielding candidates on six union council seats.

The big guns

Almost from the onset of politics in the region, the Nawabs and Khans of Hoti have been firmly in the driving seat. However, as time went on, the Nawabs lost their influence and unity among their ranks.

The Khans were also affected, but decided to join hands a couple of years ago and are now commanding ANP not only in Mardan, but throughout Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Former chief minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti enjoys the complete support of Haji Yaqoob Khan, who is leading the influential family of the late Sarfaraz Khan. Late chief minister Mir Afzal Khan was the uncle of Haji Yaqoob Khan.

On the other hand, the Nawabs of Hoti are divided. Despite his association with PML-N, Khawaja Muhammad Khan is taking an independent position, while his cousin Nawabzada Aurangzeb Khan is associated with the PPP. Nawabzada Arsalan Khan is considered a top-ranking PML-N leader, but he is supporting his cousin Nawabzada Muhammad Khan in the latter’s independent struggle.

What history suggests

Mardan district, comprising 75 union councils, has long been a stronghold of ANP and PPP. In the 2013 general elections, the ANP still managed to save face, but PPP was completely uprooted from the region. Majority of the seats went to PTI.

The JUI-F also has its seeds firmly planted in the area, whereas JI has managed to maintain its foothold from the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) days which coincided with the 2002 general elections.

From 1990 to 1997, the PML-N, thanks to its alliance with ANP, managed to grab a few parliamentary berths but failed to established a foothold in other localised elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2015.