The contest in Lahore

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Charity resources for politicking

 

Despite the PML-N’s  great expectations, the  party simply failed to raise  a sympathy wave in NA-120.  While Maryam Nawaz delivered speeches recounting the ‘injustice’ done to  Nawaz Sharif and Kulsum Nawaz’s being  hospitalized, nearly 40,000  who had voted for the party in 2013  remained unmoved. They either didn’t care to turn up at the polling stations or voted for other candidates.  It is thus hyperbolic to maintain, as Maryam has done,  that NA-120 voters have rejected the Supreme Court’s decision. Controlling  levers of power at the federal, provincial and local government level,  all the king’s horses and all the king’s men failed to deliver. Despite Nawaz Sharif’s praise for Maryam’s performance, the lower than expected participation of the PML-N voters is bound to give birth  to an internal debate within the Sharif family as well as in the party at large.

Days before the NA-120 polls  Imran Khan told a rally that Yasmin Rashid, would  easily win the election against PML-N’s Kulsoom Nawaz and they will celebrate her victory after the results are announced. This was alright if  meant to be no more than  pep talk. There is however a tendency in the PTI leadership to believe in its own exaggerations.  Rashid no doubt brought down the  2013 polls gap of over 40, 000 votes to about 14,000 and

only  5,000 of her 2013 voters absented themselves, many times fewer  than PML-N’s.  Much more would have to be done by PTI however to overtake the PML-N’s well oiled election machinery when it contests  227 directly elected seats.

Despite a large number of workers, offices and resources at the disposal of the newly mainstreamed Milli Muslim League, the party  cut a sorry figure when its unofficial candidate ended up securing less than 5,000 votes.  This despite spending funds meant for charity at MML’s disposal in the campaign.

The PPP was the worst sufferer, getting less than 3,000 votes. The nomination of Faisal Mir was presented as the first step towards the rejuvenation of the party in Punjab. That neither Bilawal nor Zardari came to address public gatherings on the sidelines of the polls   indicates the leadership’s lack of interest in Punjab.

5 COMMENTS

  1. PLM-N (alias choor league, also aka corrupt thieves league), has again done an open corrupt act, every Pakistani know its FAKE result. People hate corrupt Nawaz Sharif. They are just after making more money and they are spending their black money to win this election of NA-120.

  2. Imran Khan pre poll statement that NA 120 result will prove that voters stand by the supreme court verdict, his candidate will definitly win and they will celebrate the victory reflect his immaturity in politics. Such before time statements weaken the party and become laughing stock before the public..

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