RAWALPINDI, Jan 13: The strongly-placed PML-Q expects a tough fight from the six-party religious alliance, MMA, for the by-polls in NA-56 and PP-8 constituencies.

With Monday being the last day of electioneering, all candidates were found making final efforts to woo voters.

However, the People’s Party Parliamentarians, which emerged as the largest party in the general elections in the district, appears no where in the fray.

Both the seats had been won by independent candidates — Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (NA-56) and Ghulam Sarwar Khan (PP-8) — in the general elections, who later joined the PML-Q.

Eleven candidates had filed nominations for the NA-56 by- polls, however, eight either withdrew or retired from the contest leaving behind three contestants; Sheikh Rashid Shafiq (PML-Q), Hanif Abbasi (MMA) and Yousaf Mirza (PPP).

All of them are new entrants into the electoral politics of Rawalpindi, though Mr Abbasi is a well-known business community leader. He had played an active role during the agitational movement against the GST on drugs by the military government.

Sheikh Rashid Shafiq’s biggest and probably the only qualification for vying to represent this constituency is that he is the nephew of Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who had surrendered this constituency and retained the neighbouring NA-55.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed used his position as federal minister to boost his nephew’s campaign and got the Punjab chief minister and prime minister visit the city and speak at the electioneering rallies, where they announced hefty development packages for the city.

Several federal ministers also held open kutcheries at Mr Ahmed’s political secretariat - Lal Haveli.

On the other hand it was for the first time that MMA ran such a vigorous campaign in this constituency, which has traditionally seen PPP-PML contests.

The business community of this constituency fully supported Mr Abbasi in his campaign, who saw his position further consolidated by the support coming from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf and PML-N workers, who defied their party leadership’s decision to support the PPP.

Mr Abbasi who intends to benefit from the reinvigorated image of the MMA following their unexpected success in the general elections and the tough stance taken by the alliance on the issue of LFO, civilian president and relations with the US put in an effective end to his campaign with the public rally attended by the MMA’s top brass.

The lively campaign run by the MMA candidate is already playing on the minds of the ruling party and its supporters. The way Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Sheikh Rashid himself focussed on the MMA and criticized its leadership during Sunday’s public rally in Shamsabad was an indication of that.

The PPP which finished second on this seat in the general elections never appeared serious in contesting by-polls which can be inferred from the haphazard manner in which it ran its campaign and inordinate delay in announcing the candidate.

The party finalized its candidate, overlooking several senior party members, on the last day for withdrawal of nominations. The candidate then took another few days to launch his campaign, which then never got going.

The voters too are not interested in the PPP because of the emergence of differences and divisions within the party and formation of PPP-Patriots.