GUJRAT: Former federal minister and senior PML-Q leader Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain has launched his another son, Musa Elahi, as a candidate for NA-62 (Sara-i-Alamgir-Kotla).

Already in active politics, his elder son Hussain Elahi had won NA-63 (Jalalpur Jattan-Tanda) in 2018.

In the next month election, the two brothers will run for as many NA seats of the district as nominees of the PML-Q.

Musa Elahi is going to contest against former PML-N MNA Abid Raza Kotla in NA-62. The PML-N has won the seat four times since 2008. Malik Jameel Awan won it in 2008 but he was de-seated in 2012 for having dual nationality. His uncle Malik Haneef Awan, the district president of the party, won it in by-poll whereas Mr Kotla bagged it in 2013 and 2018 vote.

Wajahat Hussain has personally been running the election campaign of Musa Elahi and is busy meeting local groups of the constituency as the PML-Q is mainly banking on the vote bank belonging to the Jutt clan of the constituency beside seeking support of other locally-influential groups.

A faction of the Kotla group being led by former adviser to Punjab chief minister, Naeem Raza Kotla, the elder brother of Abid Raza, has also been a candidate for PP 28 (Kotla) from the PML-Q.

Similarly, sources said the Q is pursuing ex-MPA Chaudhry Arshad who recently quit the PTI, to become a PML-Q candidate from PP 27 (Sara-i- Alamgir) or make a seat adjustment with Musa Elahi to support each other but no decision has been made yet as Mr Arshad is weighing the option to contest as an independent candidate.

A former PTI MNA on reserved seats for women, Tashfeen Safdar Marala of Kharian, has also announced to join the PML-Q after meeting the party chief Shujaat Hussain in Lahore.

Since former federal minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain has been a candidate from NA-64 (Gujrat city-Kunjah), at least three scions of the Chaudhrys of PML-Q are aspiring for three out of four NA seats of the district which is an unprecedented move in the so-far political history of the family.

Previously, the Chaudhrys would only contest the elections from two NA and as many PA seats of Gujrat tehsil.

On the other hand, Shafay Hussain, the elder son of PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, is alo a candidate for two PA seats -- PP 31 and 32 (Gujrat tehsil) -- as both these seats fall under NA-64 where his brother Salik Hussain is a candidate.

Surprisingly, this is for the first time that any of the members of the Chaudhry family, Shafay Hussain, has become a candidate from Gujrat city’s PA seat where Chaudhrys have never contested directly but always supported a candidate from their local allies.

As per sources, there has been a tough match between the PML-N and PML-Q for convincing each other to field their respective candidate on Gujrat PA seat where former Gujrat mayor and ex-MPA Haji Nasir Mehmood of the PML-N is also an aspirant of the party ticket but no decision has been announced yet by the party.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2024