KASUR: Candidates for local government slots have adopted novel methods to attract voters in Kasur.

A PML-N candidate for Sheikh Hamad union council chairman is luring the voters with financial help from the chief minister’s office while on Mangal Mandi Road, ward 32 of the Kasur city, gas pipelines are being installed.

PML-N candidate’s office in Sheikh Hamad union council has been abuzz with lots of activity for the last few weeks. The office distributes forms among the visitors to fill it out. They are told that the forms will be dispatched to the chief minister’s office in Lahore and a Rs10,000 aid will be delivered to the form holder. Henchmen of the candidate get the thumb impression of the voter and a photocopy of the computerised card.

For the convenience of the voters, the candidate has managed a photocopier in the village office.

According to a villager, they were told by candidate’s people that there would be CCTV cameras in polling stations and the government would know who they polled votes.

“Only your stamp on ‘lion’ can assure you Rs10,000 under the scheme,” he said, quoting the office staff.

There are three candidates for the slot of chairman -- PML-N’s Shabbir Badsha, PTI’s Muhammad Arif and independent Abdul Sattar, also a former nazim.

Sattar told Dawn his repeated complaints with the local Election Commission office about the violations of poll code had gone in vain.

Mr Badsha could not be reached for a comment.

Besides Sheikh Hamad union council, such forms are also being distributed among voters in ward 5 of Bhadian Kalan.

Independent candidate Faiz Ahmed, who is close to the PML-N, said initially he had distributed forms but later he realised that villagers might turn against him if cash was not delivered to them. He said he had distributed few forms while other candidates were distributing those in bulks.

Also, a PML-N parliamentarian got installed electricity poles in the main bazaar of Mochipura on Thursday. Electricity wires have yet to be fixed.

Work on the gas pipeline supply is in the works on Mangal Mandi Road in ward 32 of Kasur city. Streets are being paved in ward 50 and 34 of Kasur city and ward No 2 of Kot Radha Kishan, Ghumankay and Lambay Jageer.

As a development project is what a ruling party candidate can offer, independent and other party candidates are luring the voters with hot tea and spicy samosas.

Independent candidate Naeem Riaz for the Lambay Jageer union council office and has set up stalls of sweets in the village.

A PTI candidate in the same constituency is countering his rivals by offering hot samosas to voters.

PTI workers said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited Kasur to condole with the family of a man who died in the earthquake, only to influence the election.

Also, the district administration and the returning officer held a meeting with candidates of the Kasur city (50 wards) and asked them to follow the code of ethics.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2015

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