LAHORE: PPP leaders said on Thursday a good number of PML-N MPAs in Senate election in Punjab had revolted against the “dictatorial mindset” of their leadership by not casting vote in favour of party candidates.

Some 11 PML-N members did not vote for the party candidates. Instead they preferred to give vote to the PPP and PML-Q joint candidate, Nadeem Afzal Chan.

“Today a good number of PML-N MPAs expressed their distrust in their leadership by not casting votes in favour of party candidates. It shows the Sharifs are not running the party democratically,” PPP’s central Punjab president Manzoor Wattoo told Dawn.

Take a look: PPP, PML-Q make last-minute effort for Chan’s Senate bid

He said the PML-N leadership should learn politics from Asif Ali Zardari. “In the Senate election, the PPP made alliance with the MQM, PML-Q, ANP and JUI-F while the PML-N’s own legislators appeared to be protesting the party’s policies,” he said.

Mr Wattoo said the presidential ordinance to stop the Senate election in Fata was an “insane move”. “The government instead of rushing for 22nd amendment to check horse-trading should evolve a consensus among the political parties like the PPP did in 2012 Senate election,” he said.

PPP south Punjab President Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood said the PML-N government should revisit its anti-people policies after revolt by some of its MPAs. “The PML-N leadership needs to give respect to its members. They, in fact, have protested against their leadership’s governance style,” he said.

He said: “Today is the victory of PPP as its candidate was given votes by the PML-N members,” he said.

Published in Dawn March 6th, 2015

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