MULTAN: A tough triangular election fight is going to take place in the NA-154 Multan-I constituency (previously NA-151 Multan-IV) where old guards are fighting against the candidates of their former political parties with new captains, The News has learnt.
Malik Sikandar Hayat Bosan is contesting as independent after refusal from Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-N due to his turncoat politics. Mian Suleman Ali Qureshi is contesting on the PML-N ticket against his 2013 election when he had contested on the PTI ticket.
PPP old guard Malik Ahmed Hassan Dehrr is contesting on the PTI ticket as compared to past when he was once elected as MPA in 2008. Dehr was known as the deputy prime minister after the induction of Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani as the prime minister but he left the PPP due to his differences with Gilani.
At least 28 union councils fall in the NA-154 Multan-I constituency. The Election Commission of Pakistan’s statistics have showed the PML-N Bosan group had won 17 union councils, PTI failed to capture a single UC, PPP won five union councils and six independents were elected in the local government polls in 2015. The independents later joined the PML-N.
Interestingly, this is the only constituency in Multan where two female candidates are also contesting, including Iram Gull on the MMA ticket and Aneela Iftikhar on the APML ticket. Pakistan Saraiki Party has fielded M Talal Zohaib and Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan fielded Malik
Azhar Hassan Sandela.
Six independents are in the run in this constituency, including Malik Sikandar Hayat Bosan his younger brother Shaukat Hayat Bosan, Tahir Razzaq, Noor Hussain Dehr, Rana Amiqur Rehman and Makhdoom Syed Ali Sher Shah.
Sikandar Hayat Bosan of the PML-N received 95714 votes and won the slot while Mian Salman Ali Qureshi of PTI got 38647 votes in 2013 general elections.
In 2008 general elections, Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani of PPP won the slot with 64364 votes while Malik Shaukat Hayat Khan Bosan contested as independent and received 60779 votes. In 2002 polls, Sikandar Hayat Bosan contested from the PML-Q side and won the slot with 473683 while Syed Ahmed Mujtaba Gilani of PPP received 44039 votes and lost the election.
Three Punjab Assembly slots have been delimited in the National Assembly constituency, including PP-211 Multan-I, PP-212 Multan-II and PP-213 Multan-III.
PP-211 MULTAN-I: The PML-N has fielded Malik Amir Bappi, Syed Ali Haider Gilani is contesting from the PPP, Khalid Javed Warraich from the PTI besides 13 independents who are Shaukat Bosan, Sikandar Bosan, M Adnan, M Tariq, Tahir Razaq, M Ashiq, Malik Noor Hussain Dehr, Fayyaz Ahmed, Nasir Ali Haider, Rana Jang Ali Sher, Liaquat Ali Bosan, M Ayub and M Ahmed Asim.
Shaukat Bosan contested on the PML-N ticket from PP-200 Multan-VII in 2013 elections and won the slot with 42992 votes, PPP’s Syed Ali Haider received 26620 votes and PTI’s Captain (retd) Nasir Mahay received 16575 votes. Now he is contesting as independent in reaction against the PTI leadership for not issuing him the party ticket. He may cause big dent in the PTI vote bank due to influence of his clan in the constituency.
2008: Ahmed Hussain Dehr of PPP contested from PP-200 Multan-VII and won the slot with 42392 votes, M Hussnain Khan Bosan of PML-Q received 26264 votes and Nawabzada Waseem Khan Badozi of PML-N received 10300 votes.
2002: Sikandar Hayat Bosan contested on the PML-Q ticket and won the slot in 2002 elections with 30551 votes, Ahmed Hussain Dehr of PPP received 27786 votes and M Mehboob Alam Khan of PML-N received 6271 votes.
PP-212 MULTAN-II: The PML-N has fielded Shahzad Maqbool Butha, PPP nominated Nazim Shah and PTI fielded Salim Labar from the constituency PP-212 Multan-II.
Shahzad Maqbool Butha contested from PP-198 Multan-V in 2013 elections and won the slot with 32112 votes against PTI candidate Nawabzada Waseem Khan Badozai who received 29728 votes and PPP’s M Adnan Dogar received 12204 votes.
At least 17 independents are also contesting from the provincial slot, including Sikandar Bosan, M Arshad, Syed Asghar Shah, M Tariq, Bashir Ahmed, Omer Nawaz Khan Babar, Syed Ali Abbasi, Pirzada Saqlain Raza, Mehfooz Ahmed, Shoban Yaqoob, Makhdoomzada Syed Amir Abbas, Tahir Ahmed Asghar Khokhar, Khizar Hayat, Younis Butha, Makhdoom Syed Sher Ali Shah and Naeem Nawaz.
PP-213 MULTAN-III: The PML-N has fielded M Ali Khokhar, PPP nominated Shahid Raza while PTI fielded barrister Wasim Khan Badozai. Ali Khokhar contested from the PP-199 Multan-VI on the PML-N ticket in 2013 and won the slot with 35817 votes, Syed Nazam Hussain Shah of PPP received 25518 votes, Tahir Ahmed Asghar Khokhar of PTI received 26593 votes and JI’s Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal Arain received 2137 votes.
Eight independents are in the run in the constituency. They are Sheikh Sadiq Hussain, Abdul Naeem, Amir Khan Badozai, Salim Qureshi, Manzoor Khosa, Syed Mehdiul Hassan Shah, M Zahid and M Sajid Nawaz.