LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and PML-N are the main contenders for the Cantonment boards’ elections as the PPP is conspicuous by absence in canvassing. The polling is scheduled to be held on Saturday (tomorrow).

A visit to Walton and Cantonment boards on Thursday showed that the roads, especially in Walton, were decorated with banners and panaflexes of the PML-N and PTI candidates. Some independent candidates seem to have spent some bucks on their publicity campaign and the candidates vying for 20 seats of the boards have also spent on TV advertisements.

The election activities at Walton Board could be compared with that of general elections as there was a massive display of banners and the candidates were holding corner meetings. Besides, the candidates are also spending most of their time in a door-to-door campaign.

PPP fails to stage a comeback

As the rules seem to be a little strict in Cantonment Board regarding display of banners and hoardings, the candidates of the area prefer door-to-door campaign.

The Walton Board polls have generated interest among the traders as well. “Although we don’t have votes here, we are enjoying the election atmosphere,” Azmat Butt, an eatery owner, told Dawn.

Asked which party he reckoned favourite, he said both PTI and PML-N had equal chances as the display of banners and other publicity material showed.

Quite surprisingly, not a single banner or panaflex of the PPP candidate is displayed in Walton. There was even no party office in any ward, showing the PPP’s lack of interest.

“Our candidates have no funds to spend on the election campaign,” Afnan Butt, a PPP Lahore office-bearer, told Dawn. “Both the PML-N and PTI have huge funds to spend on electioneering. The PPP voter will come out on the election day (April 25) and vote for the party candidates,” Butt sounded optimistic.

The PPP could field candidates for 17 seats as it was facing problems in finding the aspirants. “The PPP leadership’s lack of interest in the Cantonment boards’ elections shows that in local polls the party may get further marginalised in Punjab,” commented a senior PPP leader from Punjab, who was visibly unhappy with the leadership for not addressing the issues responsible for the party’s poor show in the province.

The residents of the Cantonment boards have political affiliations but they think the winner of their ward will be helpful in addressing the civic problems. “I will vote for a candidate of the party I like. But I am optimistic that the winner of my area (Ward 5) will be accountable to the residents regarding solving the civic problems,” Rizwan Ahmed said.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2015

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