DERA GHAZI KHAN: Battle lines have been drawn for the slots of municipality of shrine city -- Taunsa Sharif -- as PML-N, PPP, Jamaat-i-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have fielded their candidates for 20 wards to win the mayor slot.

As many as 27,974 registered voters -- 12,896 female and 15,078 male -- will cast their votes on Dec 5 to elect their representatives.

Fifty-eight candidates of political parties have been campaigning for their success in local bodies elections.

Independent candidates backed by former MPA Khwaja Daud are also in the race.

The PTI led by Khwaja Sheraz fielded 17 aspirants, PPP awarded tickets to five while PML-N MNA Amjad Farooq Khosa is supporting 19 hopefuls. The Jamat-i-Islami is steering election campaign for its 17 candidates.

PPP MPA Khwaja Nizamul Mehmood is backing PTI candidates fielded by ex-MNA Khwaja Sheraz instead of PPP’s aspirants who are canvassing on their own.

When this correspondent contacted PPP District President

Shibli Shabkhaiz, he said: “Khwaja Nizam is backing PTI candidates as he (PPP MPA) thinks his political fate is linked to PTI and not PPP.”

The PPP workers hope that the party will secure one or two seats out of 20 wards whereas JI activists claim that the Jamaat will win maximum seats.

According to local political pundits, a tough contest is expected between PTI and PML-N for 20 wards of Taunsa Sharif Municipality.

They say PML-N may get ‘sympathy vote’ as a couple of months back seven aspirants for local polls were killed in a suicide blast at Taunsa Sharif camp office of MNA Amjad Farooq Khosa.

MNA Khosa was not present at the time of the blast.

They predict that the PML-N will secure mayor slot.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2015