Support, clans sum up NA-141 election scene

OKARA: The candidates have started flexing their muscles for the forthcoming general elections.

Alliances with associations, bradaries and groups have rapidly taking shape. In NA-141, the election campaigns have started attracting interest of the district population.

The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), besides two independent groups have stepped into the election arena.

In 2008 general elections, PPP’s Rai Ghulam Murtaza Kharal had obtained 63960 votes to get success. Though, he did not participate in the 2013 general elections but he enjoys enough influence in the constituency. His provincial wing is PP-190 from where Rai Faisal Abbas is contesting and Rana Abdur Rehman from PP-183.

In the same constituency, PTI ticket-holder Syed Ali Bokhari is in the field. He won the 2008 election in NA-145 on the PPP ticket after getting 64607 votes but in 2013 election, he remained third on the PPP ticket, bagging 26577 votes.

After the formation of new constituencies, the NA-141 only covers the 20 percent area of the former constituency of NA-145. Rai Hammad Aslam Khara is contesting from the provincial wing PP-190 and Mahr Javed Iqbal from PP-183.

The PML-N gave ticket to former MNA Chaudhry Nadeem Abbas Rubera. He had been the tehsil nazim of Okara in 2003 and had won as MPA on the PML-Q ticket in 2008. In 2013 election, he contested on the on PML-N ticket ticket and won after bagging 90471 votes. His provincial wings are headed by his brother Ghulam Raza Rubera from PP-190 and Javed Allauddin from PP-183.

The Nemat family candidate Chaudhry Khalilur Rehman is running his election campaign for the last one year in the NA-141 constituency. Now, he had obtained the symbol of ‘bucket’ and contesting as an independent candidate.

His family is the largest industrial family in Punjab. His provincial wings are headed by Rai Ali Noor Kharal from PP-190 and M Arif Lashari from PP-183. Former MPA of PTI, Chaudhry Masud Shafqat Rubera is contesting as an independent candidate from NA-141. His provincial wing is headed by former MPA Malik M Akram Bhatti from PP-183.