PPP, PTI, PML-Q and JI makes a joint consultative board for seat adjustments

Mandi Bahauddin(Sher Gondal) : Local leaders of main stream parties PPP, PTI, PML-Q and JI made a joint consultative board in this district for seat adjustments in Local Government elections scheduled to be held on 19 November.

The board held several meetings to evolve a strategy to give tough résistance to PML-N candidates. They agreed to field joint candidates where a single party was not strong to win election. There are 80 union councils and three Municipal Committees that is Mandi Bahauddin, Phalia and Malakwal in this district.

In general public opinion the consultative board and its members, despite their best efforts have not been able to achieve desired results. Most of the aspirants having affiliations with PPP have stood to fight election independently, considering decline in popularity of their party. They have not bothered to obtain tickets from their respective parties.

PTI, PML-Q and JI are parties who do not have enough following to be reckoned with. With regard to PMLN, There was lot of pressure from the aspirants and tussle over ticket distribution. There were several applicants seeking ticket for the same seat. Candidates failing in receiving tickets got annoyed and disappointed over the party.

Where aspirants were more than one and everyone was insisting to contest election, the local leaders of PMLN issued ticket to none and asked them to contest election as independent. Now during election campaign, such candidates are displaying banners without party symbol, the loin.

However the banners carry pictures of Nawaz Sharif and their local leaders to give impression to voters that they are party nominated candidates. It may be mentioned that PMLN by virtue of being in power has great advantage to win the LG election in this district with thumping majority.

No small farmer and laborer is candidate. The candidates fighting elections are mostly kiln owners, traders, contractors, relatives of the local political personalities and foreign returned.

Most of them run their business outside Mandi Bahauddin district limits but during election season they return and establish deras at their native localities. They all claim and assure the voters to give them job, construct roads and bring prosperity in their respective wards.

However when the elections are over they are hardly accessible to their voters.