PML-N candidate Sardar Ayaz Sadiq defeated his main rival Aleem Khan of PTI in byelections of NA-122 Lahore, which was contested by the two parties with the spirit of do or die. Both the parties had many things at stake in the bitterly fought election and that is why they spent time, energy and money to capture the seat but ultimately Sardar Ayaz Sadiq won the seat with 77,736 votes while Aleem Khan with 73,463 votes finished as runner up. Despite statements by the PML-N leadership claiming that the party’s stance vis-a-vis rigging in the 2013 elections has been vindicated, it has had the democratic equivalent of a solid kick in the posterior, only just winning in NA-122 and losing to the PTI in the fight for the Punjab Assembly seat in PP-147. The results are the clearest indicator since the general election that there is a shift of sorts in the electoral dynamics in the direction of the PTI, which was able to mount and sustain an electoral campaign in the PML-N heartland .This time the margin of victory was much lower than the 2013 elections. The popularity graph of the PML-N in the constituency seems to be facing a decline. There are other factors that may explain the thinner margin as well. First, it was the indifferent attitude of Ayaz Sadiq, who never paid frequent visits to his constituency. Second, PTI’s Aleem Khan invested a lot of money and his supporters launched a very effective election campaign that made the difference. After the jubilation, the PML-N needs to sober up and work for the welfare of the general public. It should not forget that it has lost the Punjab Assembly seat of PP-147 with the same margin as was witnessed in the Aleem-Ayaz contest. This is an indirect message to the PML-N leadership that they need to address the real grievances of the general public. Otherwise, this slight margin can easily be surpassed by the PTI in the next general elections. Another grave issue was the violations of the code of ethics by candidates and their patrons. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif himself committed a violation of the election code by making a speech against the opponents just a day before the election. Besides the use of state machinery and participation of sitting ministers in the election campaign, huge money was spent during electioneering by both parties. It was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to have taken the violators to task.
pk.shafaqna.com
pk.shafaqna.com
