PML-N, PPP to lock horns in NA-133

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are set to lock horns in the NA-133 by-polls scheduled to be held on December 5.

A close contest is expected between the two parties in the absence of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate from the constituency.

The past elections in NA-133 had generally been considered a cakewalk for the PML-N, but now, the scenario has changed due to an effective election campaign of the PPP that was led by its Central Punjab president and former prime minister of Pakistan Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

Read more: LHC dismisses plea seeking disqualification of PML-N, PPP candidates

The pundits of politics have predicted an upset in the constituency where the PPP has fielded an old guard from Lahore, Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Gill, who will be contesting against PML-N’s Shaista Pervaiz Malik. However, Ms Malik is likely to get sympathy votes as the NA-133 seat got vacant on October 11 after the demise of her husband and former PML-N Lahore president Pervaiz Malik.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), there are 400,485 registered voters in the NA-133 constituency.

PPP making inroads in NA-133

In the 2018 general elections, the PML-N’s Pervaiz Malik emerged victorious from NA-133 by securing 89,678 votes while the PTI’s Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry followed him with 77,231 votes. The PPP’s Gill managed to get 5,585 votes only. But interestingly, the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) candidate Matloob Ahmed stood third with 13,235 votes in the election.

The PPP has started making inroads not only in the constituency but also into the PML-N as 15 councillors from NA-133 have left their party and joined the PPP.

Read more: PTI candidate announces to not approach SC for disqualification review

PPP receives support of TLP, JI, PAT and MWM

Some political insiders have told Bol News that the PPP has managed to garner support of the TLP, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MWM), while a large number of people hailing from the Christian community have also extended their support to the PPP.

PAT secretary general Khurram Nawaz Gandapur told Bol News that the forthcoming elections won’t be easy pickings for the PML-N. “I understand the constituency pretty well, the PML-N had not done anything substantial for NA-133”, he said and added that a sizable number of the Christian community that lives in the constituency had been deprived of their rights.

Partially agreeing with Gandapur, some sources believe that the elections will not be a cakewalk for the PPP either.

Videos of buying votes in NA-133

Some videos of both political parties — the PPP and the PML-N — buying votes for the Dec 5 elections have created a stir as the ECP has started investigating the matter.

Talking to Bol News, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Punjab Ghulam Israr Khan has dismissed rumours regarding the postponement of elections in NA-133, and has maintained that by-polls would be held as per schedule.

Read more: ECP takes notice of video scandal

“We are currently investigating the alleged videos of buying votes, and after receiving the forensic report from concerned departments, legal action would be taken,” he said.

Raja and Shaista fined for violating code of conduct

The PML-N and the PPP, in a move to persuade the voters, have violated Para-17 of the code of conduct for the elections, and on this violation, the district monitoring officer for NA-133 by-polls, Zahid Subhani has imposed a fine of Rs49,500 on former PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf of the PPP, and has also imposed a fine of Rs20,000 on the PML-N’s candidate Shaista Pervaiz Malik.

To implement the code of conduct for by-polls in NA-133, Subhani wrote letters to the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore, Additional IG Fayyaz Ahmed and the Deputy Commissioner Lahore, Mohammad Umer Sher.

Where will PTI votes go?

After the non-availability of the PTI’s candidate Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, who got rejected by the ECP and appellate tribunal to run for the elections of NA-133, a big question mark on the pro-PTI votes has risen. According to political insiders, the majority of Imran Khan’s supporter might prefer staying at home on the day of election.

Read more: ECP releases preliminary polling scheme for NA-133 by-polls

Can PPP pull an upset?

Ahsan Raza, a Lahore-based journalist who is well aware of the constituency, firmly believes the PPP has managed to turn the tide in its favour as those voters, who had favoured the PTI due to Asif Zardari’s visit to Raiwind earlier, seemingly have now decided to support the PPP in the absence of PTI candidate in the constituency. Furthermore, he said the PPP candidate has won the support of more than 15 councillors in the constituency.

PML-N likely to clinch NA-133 by-polls

Despite PPP’s toil for the NA-133 polls, some voters and political pundits from the constituency believe the PPP are likely to receive around 20-25,000 votes and the PML-N’s Shaista Pervaiz will emerge victorious with a considerable margin as the constituency remains its stronghold.

Talking to Bol News, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has denied allegations regarding the buying of votes. He also said that he — as president of the party in Central Punjab — can go to any constituency to mobilize his party workers and voters and NA-133 is no exception.

Read more: ECP to place CCTV cameras at sensitive polling stations in PP-206, NA-133

“I am unable to understand the reason [for] ECP’s notice and fine that has been imposed on me. We will challenge the decision of allegedly not following the code of conduct”, Ashraf said while clarifying his stance.