Senate polls: Gulf between leaders and MPs may cost PML-N seriously

LAHORE: The gap between senior leadership and elected members of PML-N from Punjab could cause serious dent to the party, particularly in the upcoming Senate elections scheduled in March.

Already, six members of PML-N from Punjab Assembly have revolted against the party and are openly holding meetings with chief minister and other high-ups of the PTI government. Two members of this dissident group belong to Central Punjab districts like Sheikhupura and Gujranwala whereas rest are from Southern Punjab where party is at serious risk of facing a loss in Senate polls in which nearly one and a half dozen Senators of PML-N are retiring by March 2021.

Although both the government and opposition are on same page over secret balloting in Senate and want abolition of this practice to discourage selling of votes, so far, for Senate elections, the defection clause doesn't bar any member even if he casts vote against the party-line.

Article 63-A of the Constitution states that if a member of a parliamentary party composed of a single party in a House votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the Parliamentary Party to which he belongs, in relation to election of prime minister or the chief minister, or a vote of Confidence or No-Confidence or a Money Bill or a Constitution Amendment; he may be declared in writing by the party head to have defected from the political party, and the party head may forward a copy of the declaration to the Presiding Officer and the chief election commissioner and shall similarly forward a copy thereof to the member concerned provided that before making the declaration, the party head shall provide such member with an opportunity to show cause as to why such declaration may not be made against him.

Under the existing law, unless it is amended, the MPAs could exercise the vote of their choice freely even if it is against the party-line which could ultimately benefit the ruling party, PTI which faced an upset from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in last phase of Senate polls in March 2018.

In Punjab, the prevailing sense of uncertainty among the PML-N MPAs who are not too pleased with the way party leadership was dealing with them could result in loss to the party in Senate as well.

The PTI, which has a government in Punjab and Centre could easily influence most of the opposition MPAs through different tactics, whether through development funds or power.

In the presence of figures like Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar who still has very strong in roads in PML-N, party could suffer seriously in Senate polls or even face more dissidents emerging.

This is noteworthy that from Southern Punjab, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, the sitting MPA from Dera Ghazi Khan and son of former President Sardar Farooq is the main office-bearer of party Punjab organisation.

Sources stated that the party stalwarts in different meetings have conveyed their complaints to the leadership over the widening gap between workers and leaders. Some of the members have even raised the complaint that main office-bearers of the party from Southern belt do not respond to their messages and address their grievances.

We have to face our voters in the constituencies whowant us to deliver, our leaders should respond to our complaints, said another party stalwart. PML-N senior leader Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan was contacted by The News for his comments. Talking to The News, he stated that transparency in the Senate elections should be ensured. He said that PML-N believed in the sanctity of ballot and all kind of controversial practices used in Senate elections should come to an end now. Rana Mashhood, PML-N Punjab Vice-President while talking to The News stated that the government exercised all its powers but could not create any further breach in PML-N. He said the perception that there existed any gap between leadership and workers wasn't true as regular meetings were being held at district, divisional and provincial level.

This is noteworthy that Senate has strength of 104. One PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar is not in Pakistan after which Senate stands at the strength of 103, though one seat has fallen vacant as a result of the death of Hasil Bizenjo. Polling on the vacant seat is expected this month.