SWABI: The focus of the contesting candidates has shifted to the women voters after the announcement of Election Commission of Pakistan to hold re-election at 15 polling stations for women and two for men in nine union councils here in Swabi district on July 5.

Both candidates and leaders of the political parties say that owing to the increasing importance of the women voters they would try their best to get their support. They say that they would try to woo woman voters to come out from their houses for the re-election.

“Instead of approaching the voters in the whole union council, now we would only have to persuade about 1,000 of them,” said Usman Sher, a candidate for the seat of Saleem Khan union council. The contesting candidates told Dawn that it was for the first time that so much importance was being given to the women voters.

“I expect overwhelming participation of women in the election process. The scenario has gone under a great change. The credit goes to the Election Commission of Pakistan,” said Liaquat Yousufzai, who is contesting election from Bachai union council for the district council seat. Government girls school Mathra polling station No.1 in Bachai UC is included in the 15 women polling stations where re-election would be held.

Re-election will be held at 17 polling stations

In different union councils the margin between the leading and runners-up candidates is so narrow that a little change in voters’ behaviour could swing the result from one candidate to another.

“The little difference in votes is the reason that this election would be more critical and difficult for the candidates,” said ANP activist Mohammad Rashid.

In Saleem Khan UC there is a difference of seven votes between the independent candidate Hussan Zada and ANP candidate Usman Sher, contesting election for tehsil council seat. The former had got 2,036 votes and the latter 2,029. The polling station in Saleem Khan UC is government girls’ middle school Bakar and the number of registered voters is 1,025.

The candidates said that the role of heads of families would be important in determining the results of the re-election.

Shahzada Fahad, who is contesting election from Saleem Khan union council, said that the candidates were send their women for canvassing to get support of women and lure them to the polling stations.

Meanwhile, Liaquat Yousufzai told Dawn that they had planned to approach the local court for staying the re-election in Bachai UC, demanding that re-polling should be held at two polling stations instead of one.

The election commission has announced re-election in government girls school Mathra polling station No 1, but polling station No. 2 is also located on the same premises. “Only 190 of 1,200 votes were polled at polling station No 2,” said Mr Liaquat.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2015

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