Election campaign has reached to its peak in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where about 689 candidates are flexing their muscles for 66 tehsil seats in the province.
Out of total 37,752 candidates in run for different local bodies’ seats in these districts, about 689 candidates are in loggerhead for 689 tehsils in Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, DI Khan, Tank, Haripur, Buner and Bajaur districts. The fate of these candidates would be decided by over 12.7 million registered voters on December 19, 2021.
The candidates who won Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu and DI Khan’s cities tehsils mayor seats would be called mayor while administrative heads of remaining 61 tehsils would be called chairman, officials sources in provincial election commission told APP on Wednesday.
Similarly, 18,282 candidates are contesting for seats of general councilors, 3,905 for women seats, 7,513 for farmers and labourers, 282 seats of minorities in these districts.
In the wake of Peshawar High Court’s decision, LG election are being held on party basis in Khyber Pakthunkhwa. As many as 77,000 policemen and law enforcers would provide security to voters on election day.
The policemen and law enforcers would be deployed outside of the polling stations where entry of arms and electronic devices would not be allowed inside the polling stations and booths.
To muster voters’ supports, the candidates and their supporters have accelerated door to door election campaigns and addressing public meetings till late night.
PTI, PPP, JUIF, ANP and Jammat-e-Islami have fielded relatively new comers for Peshawar City’s mayor and engaged in tough electoral battle. Rizwan Bangash is contesting candidate of PTI whose party has a large vote bank in Peshawar and is taking credit for mega development projects completed by his party including BRT.
Zarak Khan, a scion of Arbab family and grandson of the late KP Chief Minister Arbab Mohammad Jehangir Khan Khalil is contesting Peshawar Mayor election on PPP ticket. He is the son of former federal minister for Communication, Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil and Asma Arbab and can surprise many. APP
JUIF’s candidate Zubair Ali is the son of former Senator Haji Ghulam Ali. He is enjoying the support of JUIF, PMLN and Qoumi Watan Party (QWP).
Sher Rehman, an ANP candidate is concentrating on the nationalist’s votes and can surprise his political opponents. Behrullah Khan Advocate has been fielded by Jamaat-e- Islami due to his long services and loyalty for the party.
Political observers believed that fielding of separate candidates by JUI-F and JI were likely to split religious votes that may benefit other candidates.
In these districts, great hustle and bustle and political mobilisation are being witnessed where candidates are participating in almost every activity from funeral to wedding and engagement to settling local disputes in a bid to muster voters’ support. Great enthusiasm is being witnessed among young voters for local bodies’ elections. Great boom has been witnessed in the business of Pana flex, Billboards and posters printing in KP where printers were earning substantial revenue due to overwhelming orders placed by the candidates.
