PML-N, PTI battle for cantonment

LAHORE
STAGE is set for Lahore Cantonment and Walton Cantonment Boards local government elections where a tough contest is expected between PML-N and PTI for 20 seats today (Saturday).
PPP, another contestant has pitched 17 candidates, including two from Christian community from both the boards which include localities, including Nishat Colony, Ghazi Road, Askari and DHA phases, Bhatta Chowk, Amar Sadhu Village, RA Bazaar and dozens of other areas falling under NA-125, the constituency where PML-N emerged victorious in last general elections. Both Lahore Cantonment Board and Walton Cantonment Board have 10 wards each. Jamaat-e-Islami is also contesting from some of the seats but local people envisage a tough contest between PML-N and PTI, just like the last general election.
The polls are also a testing phase for PML-N which in the last general elections got 123,416 votes from the National Assembly seat won by Khawaja Saad Rafique but the results were rejected by PTI. PML-N has to prove its vote bank in the LG arena where it is being tested by PTI now. Even then, PML-N still enjoys an edge over PTI and expected to win major chunk due to multiple reasons which include development work, rifts within the ranks of rival parties, particularly PTI over the distribution of tickets. The division between PTI Punjab chapter and Lahore organisation is once again evident and provincial cadre of party hadn’t shown much interest in electioneering. Dr Yasmin Rashid, General Secretary of PTI Punjab, who is a staunch party member and contested against Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N head in last general election, is also out of country. PTI has not awarded ticket to any woman applicant, which has also caused disappointment among women activists who had worked very hard for the party in last general elections and later stages like long march and sit-ins. At the same time, the disadvantage faced by PML-N is the anti-government sentiments among voters over different issues such as energy crisis and price-hike.
The total number of registered voters in the Cantt area, which, after 16 years is witnessing LG polls and divided into two parts, Lahore Cantonment Board and Walton Cantonment are 153,510 (Cantonment Board) and 307,482 (Walton Board). Female voters in the Lahore Cantonment Board are 67,563 whereas in Walton Board, there are 136,737 registered female voters. Interestingly, there has been no woman candidate pitched by all three major parties, including PML-N, PTI and PPP and all the female contestants are in the run as independent candidates. The voters in the areas include ex-servicemen, large number of traders and youth. Major clans include Arain, Rajputs, Kashmiris, whereas in most of the areas, people from Pakhtoon community also reside in big numbers.
The local government polls in the areas are being held after a gap of 16 years. In the last elections, which were held on non-party basis, Sheikh Amjad Aziz was elected Vice-President of the Board. In the last elections, area was a political battleground between PML-N and PPP but for the first time, PTI has emerged as a main contestant and it is likely to make upsets in different wards.
The PML-N, which is the ruling party in Punjab and Centre, has been accused of making full use of state machinery and resources by the rival parties. Both the sitting PML-N MPAs, including Mian Naseer Ahmed of PP-155 and Yasin Sohail of PP-156 have also fielded their brothers, including Khalid Ahmed and Akram Sohail respectively. PTI is in the contest with most of the new faces who, according to sources, have been rewarded ticket by the backing of party’s Lahore chapter.
Detail of candidates from major parties contesting from Lahore Cantonment wards.
From Ward 1, total eight candidates are contesting and all the three major parties, including PML-N, PTI and PPP are in the run with their candidates, including Shahid Sheikh, Mohammad Ali and Wajid Ali respectively. A tough contest is expected on this seat.
Ward 2: Total 12 candidates are contesting from here, including PML-N’s Abad Qureshi, PPP’s Ali Mahdi and PTI’s Ikhlaq Hussein. There is also one woman candidate contesting independently from this ward.
Ward 3: Total six candidates are contesting from this ward which includes M Iqbal of PML-N, Rasheed Ahmed of PTI and Tariq Mehmood of PPP.
Ward 4: PML-N has pitched Asif Ali from this seat whereas PTI has come up with Faisal Farid whereas PPP backed candidate is Chaudhry Ashraf. There is also a woman candidate contesting from here and total number of contestants is 13.
Ward 5: From this ward, contest is expected between PML-N’s Javed Zaman and PTI’s Shahzad Hussein. PPP is supporting an independent candidate Siraj Zaidi. Total number of candidates is six.
Ward 6: Total 10 candidates are contesting from this seat and PML-N has fielded Ashfaq Ahmed against M Ehsan of PTI. PPP hasn’t fielded any candidate from here.
Ward 7: In this ward, total eight candidates are contesting which include PPP’s Imran Bhatti and PTI’s Ch Umair.
Ward 8: From this seat, Rashid Sandhu of PML-N, Sher Ali of PPP and M Attique of PTI are in the run along with five other candidates.
Ward 9: PPP has fielded a Christian candidate Rashid Feroze Sahutra from this seat. PML-N has fielded Naeem Shahzad and PTI is in the run with Nazakat Ali.
Ward 10: There are total seven candidates contesting from this ward which include Zahid Anjum Pervaiz of PPP, Ilyas Ali of PTI and M Jaffer of PTI.
From the 10 wards of Walton Cantonment Board, list of candidates contesting from major political parties is as under.
Ward 1: From this ward, contest is expected between Ashfaq Ahmed of PML-N and Ehsan Mehmood of PTI. Total number of candidates from this seat is 10.
Ward 2: Total 12 candidates are contesting from this seat, which include Malik Tahir of PTI and M Hanif of PML-N. No PPP candidate has been pitched from here.
Ward 3: Total 10 candidates are contesting from here which include Abbas Ali of PPP, Faisal Bhatti of PTI and one PML-N candidate as well.