MARDAN, May 1: Tough contests are expected in NA-9 and PK-23 constituencies of Mardan district as hectic activity of corner meetings by candidates is being witnessed there. As many as 12 contenders are in the run for NA-9 Mardan-1 and 16 for PK-23 Mardan-1.

Prominent among the contestants for NA-9 are Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti.

Khawaja Hoti, who had won elections from NA-9 in 2008 on the Awami National Party ticket, later became federal minister when the party formed coalition with Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians.

However, he resigned from the ANP after developing differences with then chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti and his father Senator Azam Hoti. He joined Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf on Dec 16, 2011 during a public meeting addressed by party chief Imran Khan, but switched over to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz after remaining in PTI for six months.

Now both Khawaja Hoti and Ameer Hoti are seen as top contenders for NA-9, but local political observers and residents have been foreseeing a close contest between the two Hotis.

Ameer Hoti is also contesting elections from PK-23 where he has been confronting candidates like son of Khawaja Hoti, Nawabzada Umar Farooq Khan on PML-N ticket, Umar Farooq Kakakhel of PTI, Khan Ghawas Khan of the PPPP and independent candidate Akbar Khan Afridi.

In this constituency, a four-way contest is being expected among Ameer Hoti, Umar Farooq, Akbar Afridi and Farooq Kakakhel. Akbar Afridi, a transporter and elder of Afridi clan, is mainly depending for vote on Afridis living in the constituency, while Farooq Kakakhel could spring a surprise keeping in view the growing popularity of the PTI.