ICT set for Nov 30 local bodies election

ISLAMABAD: The stage is set for the first-ever local bodies (LB) election in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) on November 30 with 2,396 candidates in the arena for 650 seats of 50 union councils.
It will be of great interest for many to see whether or not the ruling PML-N manages to emerge as the leading party, as it did in the first two phases of the local bodies election in Punjab.
However, one can say safely that the PPP will not repeat its Sindh performance in the federal capital, as it has fielded less than 100 candidates here.Data shows that independent candidates are in the lead in terms of their numbers that is 972, followed by 506 fielded by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
There are 255 candidates for the seats of chairman and vice-chairman, whereas 1,210 are in the field for general councilor seats. Against the seats of women, candidature of 351 has been cleared.
For the seats of Kissans and workers, 248 candidates are in the electoral arena, whereas 230 have been cleared for seats meant for youth. Some 102 are bracing for bouts for seats meant for non-Muslims.
After the PML-N with 506 candidates, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has fielded 479 candidates, Jamaat-e-Islami 164, Tehreek Tahafuz Pakistan 66, JUI-Fazal 13 and Aam Adami Party 08 candidates.
In all, as many as 26 political parties are in the running for representation in the local government system.Each union council will consist of 13 members: a chairman and a vice-chairman, six general seats, two of women and one each for Kissan, youth and on-Muslim.
It is interesting to mention here that the chief-editor of an English daily has also fielded his son, who has been given a ticket by the ruling PML-N for the seat of union council chairman. Similarly, the son of a veteran journalist is also in the field for the slot of council chairman.
The sister of a central leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has also been awarded a ticket by the party for the slot of vice-chairman of the council from F-10. The PTI has also not ignored the son of a woman MNA, who made her way to the lower house of parliament on a reserved seat. He too has been given a ticket for the slot of vice-chairman.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan will address two rallies in the federal capital: the first at Karachi Company and the second in Shahzad Town on November 27. Presently, a local MNA of PTI, Asad Umar, is leading the election campaign of party candidates in some areas of the federal capital.
PTI insiders say their party is most likely to maintain the trend of its performance in theand second phase of local bodies election in the Punjab and Sindh.
“We can say that PTI can bag 10 to 13 out of 50 seats and that is not a bad performance, but yes we were earlier expecting more. However, like in any other party, some tickets have been awarded against the wishes of party workers and this is likely to pinch us hard on the day of polling,” they maintained.
The PTI had applied to the local administration for permission to hold two public meetings and is expected to get the go-ahead without any trouble within 24 hours.