KASUR: After the withdrawal of an independent candidate in favour of the PTI’s candidate, a close contest is expected between the PTI and PML-N in NA-139 (Chunian and Phoolnagar).

PTI Dr Azeem Zahid Lakhvi and PML-N Rana Muhammad Ishaq are in the race for the general election.

Sardar Asif Nakai who rebelled against PTI after refusal for ticket for NA-139 had announced to contest the election as an independent candidate.

On Monday, he announced his support for the PTI’s Lakhvi in a public meeting at his political office at village Vah Ahdan.

The PTI, however, had awarded Nakai a ticket for provincial assembly seat for PP-180. According to sources, when the party high-ups had asked Nakai to vacate PP-180 if he (Nakai) is contesting as an independent candidate for NA-139, Nakai decided to withdraw from NA seat and contest from PP-180.

PP-180 is the sub-constituency of NA-140 from where his brother, Talib Nakai, is contesting from the platform of the PTI and against the PML-N’s Rana Muhammad Hayat.

On the other hand, the PTI rebel group, led by Bakhtiar Kasuri, brother of PTI leader and former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, announced on Monday its support for PML-N Rana Muhammad Ishaq. Bakhtiar Kasuri, PTI central executive member who was an aspirant for NA-138., held a press conference at his office at Kot Haleem Khan.

The other candidates being supported by Bakhtiar and his group include independent candidate (refused for ticket by PML-N) Dawood Qurashi in NA-138, PML-N ticket holder Ahsan Raza in PP-177 and independent candidate (rejected by PTI for ticket) Shahid Masood for PP-176.

He said Lahoris were ruling Kasur and Fauzia Kasuri had rightly mentioned in her resignation that she could no more defend the party. He lamented that PTI had collected hefty amount in the name of application fee but did not bother to hear the applicants.

Political pundits now see a neck-and-neck contest between the two candidates for NA-139, namely Lakhvi and Ishaq, after the recent development.

NA-139, according to new delimitations, is the combination of old NA-140 and 141.

Rana Ishaq had been in National Assembly after winning the seat in both elections of 2008 and 2013. Rana family emerged as the strongest political group in the district in 2013 general election as it won two national assembly and one provincial assembly seats. Rana Muhammad Ishaq and his brother Rana Muhammad Hayat were elected as MNAs while his cousin Rana Muhammad Iqbal, former speaker Punjab Assembly, won the seat of MPA. The family also bagged district chairman seat for Rana Sikandar Hayat.

Rana Muhammad Ishaq also had the advantage of having a majority of UC chairmen in Chunian, Allahabad and Kanganpur municipal committees as all the chairmen were from the PML-N and having long association with the Rana family.

On the other hand, Dr Azeemudin Zahid Lakhvi is the son of former MNA and religious figure Moeenudin Lakhvi. The Lakhvi family had a large number of devotees in the constituency who do canvassing for it. In the general elections of 2008 and 2013 and by-elections of 2014, Lakhvi had lost the election with a narrow margin.

The local political analysts say religious factor can frustrate his opponents. They believe Lakhvi may not be able to bag as many religious votes as he was expecting due to his joining the PTI.

A few days back, Milli Muslim League leader Hafiz Muhammad Saeed announced the support of Lakhvi. Religious vote may not divide as MMA had not fielded its candidate for NA-139 and in the absence of the MMA, the vote of Deobandi sect was likely to go to Lakhvi.

Earlier, the religious vote was divided among Ashiq Javaid Dogar of PPP and Lakhvi, the two rival groups in the past. Now, for the upcoming election, Dogar and Lakhvi are in the same boat. Retired Col Muhammad Hashim Dogar was contesting for PP-177, a sub constituency of NA-139, from the PTI platform. Both Dogar and Lakhvi are from the Ahle Hadith sect.

In PP-178, a sub-constituency of NA-139, Lakhvi had other candidate as Pir Mukhtar Ahmed, belonging to Barelvi sect. The family of Ahmed is known for Pir Sardar Alam who had got esteem in the constituency. Ahmed is also associated with the Pir Khana of Kharapar Sharif. Ahmed would contribute a lot for Lakhvi to secure votes of Barelvi sect.

Whoever wins, Rana or Lakhvi family, on July 25, the political pundits believe that Nakai would be out of the constituency.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018