SWABI, April 1: The leaders of various political parties are heading for a crucial election contest after filing their nomination papers for two National Assembly and six provincial assembly seats in the district.

Total 208 candidates, belonging to different political parties and independents, have filed their nomination papers in the district and most of them have already kicked off their election campaigns in their respective constituencies.

In NA-12, Swabi-I a real contest is expected among former MNA Haji Rehmanullah of Awami National Party (ANP), former MNA Usman Khan Tarakai of Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP), ex-senator, Gufran Khan of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), ex-MNA Advocate Usman Khan of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Anwar Haq Dad of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI).

Mr Rehmanullah has been elected MNA twice while both Mr Tarakai and Advocate Usman each one time.

AJIP chairman Shahram Khan Tarakai, Advocate Ameer Nawaz Khan of JI, Mohammad Naeem Khan of PPP, Mohammad Sawar Khan of ANP, Maulana Attaul Haq Darwaish of JUI-F and Iftikhar Ahmad Khan of PML-N are the real competitors in NA-13, Swabi-II constituency. In the previous elections, Advocate Pervez Khan of ANP had won the seat.

The main competitors for PK-31, Swabi-I are: Gul Zamin Shah of ANP, Dildar Khan of PML-N, Yousaf Ali of PTI, Babar Saleem of AJIP, Mufti Mohammad Ahmad of JI and Major (retired) Fida of PPP.  This seat was also won by ANP in 2008 elections.

The main candidates in PK-32, Swabi-II constituency are: Ameer Rehman of ANP, Shahram Khan Tarakai of AJIP, Muhstaq Ahmad Khan of JI and Umar Farooq Khan of PPP. Javed Khan Tarakai of AJIP had emerged victorious from the constituency in the previous elections.

The key players in PK-33, Swabi-III are: Mohammad Ishfaq of ANP, Arsala Khan of PPP, Mohammad Ali of AJIP and Mahmoodul Hassan of JI.

Abdul Karim of QWP, Eng Amjid Ali of ANP, Shakeel Ahmad of JUI-F, Mohammad Amin of JI, Mohammad Naeem of PPP and Asad Zaman, an independent candidate, are serious contenders in PK-34, Swabi-IV constituency.

Sardar Ali, who had won the seat in previous elections, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for submitting false statement about his graduation degree.

For PK-35, Swabi-V, eminent competitors are Maulana Fazl Ali of JUI-F, Sajjad Khan of PML-N, Khanzada Abdul Qadoos Khan of PPP, Mohammad Islam of ANP, Riaz Ali Shah of JI and Abdul Ahad of AJIP.

The main contestants in PK-36 Swabi-VI constituency are: Sarfaraz Khan Jadoon of ANP, Ghafoor Khan Jadoon of JUI-F, Shiraz Khan of PML-N, Saeedzada Yousufzai of JI.

Mr Sarfaraz had won election consecutively from this constituency in the previous two elections.

About 20 workers have revolted against their respective parties and decided to contest the elections independently. There are 10 independent candidates in PK-31 constituency, eight in PK-32, 10 in PK-33, 16 in PK-34, six in PK-35 and 10 in PK-36.