SWABI, April 19: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which has never won any provincial assembly seat from Swabi district, is in a better position this time around.

The reason is it has fielded stronger candidates, according to political analysts.

A look at the electoral history of the district shows late Sher Zaman Sher was elected MPA from the then PK-27, Swabi-IV in the 1985 non-party based elections. He later won the 1990 and 1997 elections.

In 1988 elections, Mr Sher supported former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Gen Fazal Haq in this constituency. Mr Haq, however, was defeated by ANP candidate Abdul Majid Khan.

Ghafoor Khan Jadoon won election from the then PK-25, Swabi-III in 1985, 1988, 1990 and 1997.

In 1990, he contested and won election on a Pakistan Muslim League-Junejo ticket but later joined PML-N.

In 1997, he contested election on PML-N ticket and won it but later turned approver against former provincial chief minister and party leader Sardar Mehtab Abbasi in the wheat scandal and joined PML-Q.

During the last one year, he’d tried hard to rejoin PML-N with the support of former Q-Leaguer and current senior PML-N vice president Amir Muqam, but to no avail due to strong opposition of party activists.

According to political analysts, PML-N has fielded strong candidates in at least three of the six provincial assembly constituencies.

These candidates, they say, can win elections by vigorous canvassing.

Among them, PML-N district general secretary Dildar Khan is contesting election from PK-31, Swabi-1.

During the 2008 elections, he’d finished as runner-up against ANP’s Zar Shaid Khan.

Sajjad Khan is another strong candidate of PML-N.

He is contesting election from PK-35, Swabi-V. He’d stood second in the 2002 elections and third in the 2008 elections as a PML-Q candidate.

Enjoying good support of Amir Muqam, Sajid Khan joined PML-N on the condition that he would be given the party ticket for PK-35.

Shiraz Khan is another strong PML-N candidate in Swabi.

He’s contesting election from PK-36, Swabi-VI.

Amir Saeed, nephew of Shiraz Khan, had contested the last two elections in the constituency but stood second.