ANP regains lost ground in Mardan

MARDAN: The Awami National Party (ANP) has won 17 seats of the district council in the local government elections, according to unofficial results of 32 union councils. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) bagged six seats.The Mardan district consists of 75 union councils. The counting process is very slow and results of 43 union councils have not been announced yet.
The ANP had fielded 38 candidates, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) 35, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) 25, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) 70, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) 30, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) 19, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) 3, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party 2 and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) 1. There were 158 independent candidates for the district council.
Meanwhile, speaking at separate news conferences, candidates of ruling and opposition parties in Mardan district alleged that rigging was carried out in the local government elections. They alleged the election commission and local administration failed to conduct free and fair elections.
The PPP district president Sajjad Khan, PTI lawmaker from PK-25 Obaid Khan Mayar, Mujahid Bacha, PTI candidate for district council seat from Mayar Union Council and other candidates from Maho Dhari, Kandar, Kot Daulatzai, Garhi Ismailzai alleged that per-poll rigging was committed in the LG elections. They added that at majority of the poling stations staff didn’t come for duty. They alleged that the election was rigged at the polling station for women voters.
PTI lawmaker Obaid Khan Mayar said that the district administration failed to hold free and fair election in the district. He alleged that Himayatullah Mayar of ANP with the help of armed men took away ballot boxes. Obaid Khan Mayar claimed that PTI candidate was wining the election by a huge margin against Himayatullah Mayar in the Mayar Union Council. He demanded the re-election should be held in the district.