FAISALABAD, Sept 11: The local leadership of the PML-N has divided into factions and the election campaign is being run separately by candidates of these groups.

Three former MNAs — Chaudhry Sher Ali, Safdar Rehman and Mian Abdul Mannan, who were known as pillars of the PML-N in Faisalabad, are now struggling hard to get party tickets for their cohorts to stay high in politics.

Sher Ali, who recently managed his release from jail, is leading the PML-N candidates in the urban areas. He is said to have an ability to activate the workers. A good number of Nazimeen, Naib Nazimeen and councillors, who were his diehard supporters during his tenure as MNA or FMC mayor, are backing him again for the election campaign of his son Abid Sher Ali for NA-84.

But there was no coordination between Sher Ali and former MPA Rana Sanaullah Khan, who is a candidate for PP-70 falling under the national assembly constituency of Abid Sher Ali.

Sanaullah as a member of the committee for awarding tickets had opposed the suggestion of giving a ticket to Abid Sher Ali due to the involvement of his father in corruption charges.

Former MNA Mian Abdul Mannan heading another PML-N group has launched separate campaign for his son Mian Irfan who is a nominee for NA-84. Mian Mannan during the mayorship tenure of Amir Sher Ali, another son of Sher Ali, had formed the Shahbaz Group after the name of former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif against Amir Ali. Both Sher Ali and Mian Mannan have again started mudslinging campaign against each other to muster support of “angry” PML-N workers.

PML-N district president and ex-MNA Chaudhry Safdar Rehman, who is a candidate for NA-79, is seen launching his election campaign on his own without the support of party leaders.

Safdar Rehman has also some grudge with Sher Ali as the latter has fielded Sheikh Ijaz from the urban seat PP-71 against Haji Khalid Saeed who has already been awarded the ticket.

Meanwhile, the PML-QA has changed its ticket for NA-82 and awarded it to Syed Nasir Ali Shah, brother of Zafar Ali Shah, ex-FMC deputy mayor. The decision has been taken after the election tribunal has accepted the objection appeal against former senator Tariq Chaudhry. The PML-QA has also failed to allot the party ticket to any candidate for PP-53.