LAHORE, April 21: The opposition parties and the ruling PML have started preparations for the next general elections. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is trying to set up what is called a grand alliance of opposition parties to give the ruling party a tough time in the polls.

According to PML-N Secretary-General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, in case a formal alliance of opposition parties could not be set up, efforts would be made to have a good working relationship between them. Such an arrangement, he said, would also make it difficult for the ruling party to win the polls.

Whether the opposition parties would form a grand alliance or go for cooperation without setting up a formal coalition, would become clear by the end of May or early June when an all-party conference would be held in London, Jhagra said.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi is also preparing a strategy to sweep the polls in the country’s biggest province.

Party sources say the people with good following in their respective areas would be declared candidates much before the polls to give them sufficient time to prepare themselves for the electoral bout.

Then, sources say, coordination among the district organisation of the party, the district nazim and the legislators would be improved.

Internal frictions in the party ranks would also be settled in the near future. Special teams are likely to be sent to various districts — before the visit of the chief minister — to iron out differences between the party office-bearers.

The chief minister would announce development projects for the districts in consultation with the party office-bearers and the legislators.

To promote interaction between the ruling party and the electorate, the PML office-bearers are being directed to help the people prepare their computerised ID cards. The role of a facilitator to be played by the ruling party leaders, it is being said, would win the PML political support.