PML-N retains its position in four districts

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has retained its position in Shangla, Swat, Mansehra and Abbottabad districts in the local government elections.
As per unofficial results, the party secured 13 out of 28 district council seats in Shangla, followed by the Awami National Party (ANP) with five seats, and it is in a position to form the district government.
In Mansehra too, the PML-N is in leading position with 17 seats. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) got 12 seats while independents won 23 seats.The party retained its position in Abbottabad by securing 20 seats, out of total 51. The PTI also won 20 seats and 10 councillors were elected as independents and one on Jamaat-e-Islami ticket.
Though Hazara division remained a stronghold of the PML-N in the past, the party failed to maintain its position in the 2013 general elections as it lost one National Assembly and four provincial assembly seats and won only one provincial assembly seat.
Now tough contest is expected for the district chairman slot in Abbottabad as among the winning candidates are Shamoon Yar Khan, son of Governor Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan, Ali Khan, son of former federal minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon, PTI’s Waqar Nabi and Sardar Sher Bahadur, who won the election as an independent candidate and was PTI district president but had been denied the party ticket for the polls. However, in Haripur the PML-N won just four seats against 25 of the PTI and 14 independents.
The party clinched 22 district council seats in Swat, followed by 21 of the PTI and eight of the ANP. Ten independent candidates were also elected on the district council seats. In the tehsil council for Swat, the PTI gained ground by winning 25 seats against nine of the PML-N and 10 of ANP.
The PML-N also won nine district council seats in Kohat, six in Peshawar, three in Buner, and one each in Swabi, Nowshera, Lower Dir and Mardan. According to unofficial results, the PML-N is on fourth position after the PTI, JUI-F and ANP.
The results of the local government elections show the PML-N’s decline as it is in third position in the provincial assembly. The Muslim League in the past used to have a strong vote-bank in the province, especially in Hazara, Malakand, Peshawar, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan divisions.
Its nominees in the past returned to the National and provincial assembly from Swat, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Malakand, Dera Ismail Khan, Dir and Mardan along with Hazara.The internal differences and lack of organisational structure at the grassroots weakened the party to a great extent and in many districts it has been replaced by other political parties, including PTI.
However, it showed better performance in Malakand and Hazara divisions and it can emerge as a major political force in the province if further attention is given to PML-N reorganisation and launching of development projects by the PML-N-led federal government.