FAISALABAD: Jaranwala’s constituency of NA-102 features families belonging to six biradris -- Rajput, Arain, Gujjar, Malik, Kharral and Jutt, though elections do no really depend on the caste and clan system here where votes are polled to parties.

The PML-N has fielded former state minister Tallal Chaudhry for NA-102, Nawab Sher Waseer is the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate and former MPA Shahjahan Kharral from PPP. PTI supporters and the candidate are eagerly awaiting the Supreme Court verdict reserved a couple of days ago in a contempt of court case against Tallal.

The PML-N leader, however, continues to run his election campaign. PML-N workers say that even if Tallal was declared guilty by the court, the party will not leave the space open for the PTI. His covering candidate will face the PTI nominee as the party’s campaign was in full swing, the workers added.

The main issues the NA-102 constituents were faced with were dilapidated roads, non-availability of potable water, poor sanitation and the prevalence of hepatitis C in various villages of Jaranwala.

Locals said action had been taken a number of times against quacks in the area, but all in vain. Majority of the quacks allegedly enjoyed the support of local politicians, which was a matter of grave concern, they said.

The PML-N leadership had accommodated Tallal by issuing him a ticket for NA-76 in the previous general elections. He had tried his best to get a ticket for NA-77, but the party had fielded Asim Nazir for the constituency. Nazir had joined the PML-N just a few months before the 2013 general elections and won NA-77.

This time, Nazir tried to get the PML-N ticket for NA-101 as his last constituency, NA-77, had been made part of other constituencies during the delimitation. However, the party did not issue him a ticket, or to anyone else, after which Nazir decided to contest independently and PML-N decided to back him.

Akram Chaudhry, an uncle of Tallal, had filed his nomination papers and announced he would contest against his nephew however, a couple of days ago, Tallal succeeded to convince his uncle to withdraw his papers, locals said.

They further said Akram’s support would help Tallal win the seat as their rivals had been trying to exploit their differences. However, some PML-N voters were not happy with Tallal, saying he spent the entire five years in Islamabad and ignored his constituency. Voters had to run from pillar to post to get their issues resolved, they complained.

The PTI candidate, Waseer, was previously loyal to the PPP for decades but switched sides only a couple of months ago and even succeeded to get a ticket by beating Umair Wasi Zafar, the son of former law minister Wasi Zafar.

Waseer is a veteran politician who has been a former MPA and MNA, and in the PPP regime was the chairman of Prime Minister’s Inspection Team.

Tallal had defeated Waseer in the previous general elections by securing 101,797 votes against his opponent’s 35,750. Political analysts are of the view that the PPP had a strong vote bank in this constituency, but the departure of Waseer from the party would dent its strength as the PPP’s current candidate would not be able to compete with Tallal and Waseer, who were the frontrunners.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2018