LG poll results stamp of approval on general elections

ISLAMABAD: Deafening propaganda, claims, daydreaming and barrage of allegations apart, the seats won by the major and diminutive political parties in Punjab and Sindh aptly represent their true electoral strength in the partial local elections, which were as fair, free and transparent as were the 2013 parliamentary polls.
These elections reflected genuine following of every political party at the grassroots level and lowest tier of democratic process.
The limited electoral exercise turned out to be another stamp of approval on the legitimacy and accuracy of the previous general elections. Rather, the fortunes of some major contenders, who have been harping on the presumption, day in and day out, that their public ratings have skyrocketed since 2013 for different reasons, further plummeted compared to the parliamentary polls, considering the present results. It may force introspection among the losers.
While the PML-N is rejoicing a massive victory in Punjab, the PPP is celebrating impressive win in Sindh, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is lamenting its dismal showing in its choice majority province, all the three parties also displayed worst performance in different areas, a fact they ignore at this joyous moment.
The PML-N demonstrated no mentionable presence in Sindh. Same was the case with the PTI there. The PPP’s catch in Punjab was appalling. On the face of it, local elections in Sindh were not PML-N’s priority. The PPP focused on Sindh and did not pay much attention to Punjab. The PTI attached every priority to Punjab where its entire protest campaign had been concentrated since past year to challenge the PML-N in its stronghold.
However, a few months back the PTI had exhibited its grip over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) when the local elections were held. The PML-N and PPP had not secured much there.
For a change, for the moment, the PTI refrained from throwing muck on the entire electoral process painting it black and is yet to push itself out of the scary defeat it has to stomach on Saturday particularly in Punjab that has been its prime centre of politics. The proverbial “Takht-e-Lahore” (Lahore Throne) remained much away from being even slightly jolted. The Sharifs maintained their hold over the throne.
The PTI has also not accepted its defeat with open heart. However, its senior leader Shafquat Mehmood is an exception, deserving praise. He has shown the gal and guts and quit as in charge of the Lahore district saying that by holding this position, it was his moral duty to accept responsibility for the poor performance. “The PTI fared much worse than expected in Lahore. We did our best but our best was not good enough.”
The elections threw a convincing victory for the PML-N in Punjab, and reinforced its grip over it. If the outcome is any indicator, the voters loudly approved the policies of its government as Punjab and central levels, and rejected the destabilising politics of the PTI.
The PPP impressively carried the day in Sindh and those saying that the party is over even in its political bastion had egg on their faces.
The PTI’s telling defeat in Punjab may serve as an eye-opener for its bigwigs. Its boisterous assertions to have made inroads in Punjab, sidelining the PML-N, fell like a house of cards. The PTI won seats in Punjab were even less than one-fourth of the PML-N’s tally. In Lahore where, it always believed it has carved out a sprawling space, it received a crushing defeat with the PML-N racing away with more than two-thirds majority.
In Lodhran where senior PTI leader Jehangir Tareen will contest by-election to NA-154 against the PML-N in the next few weeks, his party was left to lick its wounds as its position was pathetic.
The NA-154 has a total of 35 Union Councils (UCs). Of them, the PML-N secured victory in 21 UCs while six went to the PTI whereas eight were clinched by independents. Tehsil Lodhran has 27 UCs, out of which the PML-N got 16; the PTI four and independents 7. Similarly, Tehsil Dunyapur had eight UCs out of which the PML-N was successful in five; the PTI in two and independents in one. If this trend continued in the forthcoming by-poll, Tareen is going to face a nightmare.
The independents returned in a large number like KP and stood second in terms of their strength after the PML-N and PPP in Punjab and Sindh respectively.
In several constituencies where the PML-N factions failed to reconcile, the party declared the seats ‘open’ allowing the aspirants to fight without its election symbol. Faisalabad presented a classic example where the panels of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and Minister of State Abid Sher Ali were pitched against each other as independents. Sanaullah left his rival far behind to the extent that his candidate also defeated Abid Sher Ali’s brother Aamer, proving his complete hold over this second biggest city of Punjab. In all such areas, it was virtually a PML-N versus PML-N fight as the seats were clinched by the members of its groups.
In most of these cases, the independents will go with the government sponsored candidates for the electing the heads of the local bodies.
The PML-Q and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) came out with their usual dismal performance. The PML-Functional got a good number of seats in the Sindh areas where it has following but was nowhere near the PPP’s tally.