GUJRAT: A majority of the candidates for the local government elections are forging alliances at the union council and ward levels without taking their parties into consideration and it seems that the elections in Gujrat will be held on a non-party basis.

Although most of the seat adjustments are being made between the loyalists of the mainstream opposition parties such as the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, People’s Party and Jamaat-i-Islami, it has been observed that even the candidates belonging to the PML-Q and the PTI have also been making alliances with the men of the ruling PML-N, something unprecedented at the local political arena.

It is worth mentioning that most of the PPP men have opted for the PML-N without announcing formal joining of the ruling party as the PPP looks to be in disarray in Gujrat and Sara-i-Alamgir, however, its candidates do have some footing in Kharian tehsil though its some followers are forging local alliances.

A local PTI leader told Dawn though his party had given guidelines to prefer alliances with the PML-Q and the JI, but the ground reality of every constituency was different as the party’s candidates had even forged an alliance with the PML-N in some UCs.

For instance, he said, a PTI candidate had made an alliance with the ruling PML-N’s aspirant in Kathala union council of PP-110 and in Mungowal, a UC of the same constituency, the party’s local chapter had formed a panel with the PML-Q.

It is also observed that due to differences between the legislators, belonging to the ruling PML-N over nominations for the local bodies polls, some of its MPs have even resorted to either seeking or extending cooperation to arch rivals PML-Q and PTI, especially in Kharian and Sara-i-Alamgir tehsils.

In NA-104, the PPP men have forged alliances with the PML-N since the PPP workers feel easy in negotiating with the Nawabzada family that has switched over to the ruling party.

In NA 105, most of the strong candidates of the PPP have preferred joining the PML-N for contesting LG polls, however, some of the PPP men have opted for the PTI as the second option but only for the local seat adjustments rather than joining the PTI.

The way local alliances are being forged, political analysts believe that the parties and their local groups are trying to win maximum seats in the first phase of the LG polls of wards and union councils so that they could properly bargain for earning better fortunes in the next phase of the district council and municipality level posts of chairman and vice chairman as well as for the reserved seats of these councils.