GUJRAT: The PML-N candidate from NA-66 Jhelum Nadeem Khadim Gurmala on Thursday achieved a much-needed boost to his election campaign when the disgruntled group of former PML-N MPA Raja Awais Khalid from Sohawa formally announced to support him at a public meeting at his residence.

Mr Khalid was annoyed with the party for not being given a ticket for PP-25 where another ex-MPA Mehr Fayaz was nominated. The party faced an uncomfortable situation due to reduction of Jhelum’s Punjab Assembly seats from four to three. Earlier, Dina and Sohawa tehsils were separate PA constituencies but after the delimitation both the towns have been combined under one PA seat.

Some three days ago, PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore resolved the outstanding issues between the rank and file of the party’s Jhelum chapter through a reconciliation between the rival groups, including the Gurmalas, Mehr Fayaz and Raja Awais. Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider also mediated to pacify the disgruntled Raja Awais through his visit to Awais’ house around 10 days back.

The formal announcement was made on Thursday in the presence of a large number of group’s supporters in Sohawa.

The local political analysts think that such a development on the political scene of NA-66 may improve the position of the PML-N.

Though a close contest between Nadeem Gurmala of the PML-N and Chaudhry Farrukh Altaf of the PTI is being anticipated in NA-66 but Chaudhry Saqlain, a disgruntled PTI leader, who is in the run as an independent candidate on this seat may dent the PTI’s position.

Saqlain was a PTI candidate in 2013 election and secured some 63,000 votes but the party did not award him the ticket this time.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2018