LAHORE: The candidates for by-polls to eight national and 11 provincial assemblies’ seats in Punjab spent a hectic day to woo voters before the campaign concluded on Friday midnight.

Most candidates held four to five rallies in their constituencies and pledged to serve the voters after winning seats.

By-polls to eight National Assembly seats are being held on Sunday; in Lahore, there are contests on NA-124 and NA-131, Rawalpindi (NA-60 and NA-63), Chakwal (NA-65), Gujrat (NA-69), Faisalabad (NA-103) and Attock (NA-56).

There will be contest on 11 Punjab Assembly seats — two in Lahore (PP-164 and 165), Faisalabad (PP-103), Toba Tek Singh (PP-118), Attock (PP-3), Jhelum (PP-27), Sahiwal (PP-201), Multan (PP-222), Muzaffargarh (PP-272), Rahim Yar Khan (PP-264) and DG Khan (PP-292).

PML-N stalwarts Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a former prime minister, former railways minister Saad Rafique, PML-Q’s bigwigs Moonis Elahi and Salik Hussain are contesting the NA seats in Lahore, Gujrat and Chakwal.

In Lahore, Mr Abbasi (NA-124) and Mr Rafique (NA-131) are facing the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Dewan Ghulam Mohyuddin and Humayun Akhtar. The candidates of both parties predict their victories. Mr Rafique lost the July 25 poll with a margin of just 600 votes to PTI chairman Imran Khan and an interesting competition is expected on this seat this time as well.

Just hours before the conclusion of the campaign, the PPP announced withdrawing its candidate, Asim Bhatti, in favour of Saad Rafique. “On the direction of my leader Bilawal Bhutto, I am withdrawing in favour of Saad Rafique and urge the party workers of the constituency to vote for him,” Mr Bhatti told a press conference.

Despite announcements by the PML-N and the PPP leaders that their parties would jointly contest the by-polls in most other constituencies in Punjab, neither of them withdrew its candidates.

The National Assembly seats of Gujrat (NA-69) and Chakwal (NA-65) which were vacated by Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi are being contested by PML-Q and PTI joint candidates Moonis Elahi (son of Pervaiz Elahi) and Salik Hussain (son of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain). The scions of Chaudhrys are being tipped to reach parliament to join their cousin Hussain Elahi (son of Wajahat Hussain).

The PML-Q is optimistic about the victory of both its candidates because of what its says ‘weak’ rival candidates. PML-N candidate Faiz Tuman has withdrawn his nomination in favour of Mr Salik and Imran Zafar (against Moonis) is facing differences in the party and also has failed to get support of the Gujrat PPP chapter, it says.

A PML-N leader says it had no idea that Mr Tuman would withdraw his nomination at the last minute leaving the party with no choice. “Similarly, the PPP support in Gujrat was necessary but despite understanding between the two parties ahead of the by-polls, the PPP did not withdraw its candidate in favour of Mr Zafar,” he says.

An interesting contest is expected on NA-103, Faisalabad, where PTI’s Saadullah Baloch is facing PML-N’s Ali Gohar. Here too PPP’s candidate Shahadatullah has not withdrawn in favour of the PML-N. All the candidates are from Baloch clan.

In Rawalpindi’s NA-60, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid’s nephew Rashid Shafique is a PTI candidate. The PML-N has fielded Sajjad Khan against him.

The PML-N has alleged that the National Accountability Bureau has arrested Shahbaz Sharif to ‘help’ the PTI candidates in the Oct 14 by-polls.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018