The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has not picked candidates in any constituency of Kasur district because of the uncertainty prevailing among the aspirants for party tickets, according to a report in the local media.
Having said that, it had been reported that PML-N, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and PPP candidates have started their poll campaigns as there is no confusion in their parties about the candidates.
Kasur has four National Assembly (NA) and nine Punjab Province (PP) constituencies. For NA constituencies, the PTI has seven aspirants, and of them, one is old worker while the other six have been part of more than one political parties in the past.
Similarly, the PTI has 22 aspirants for nine tickets of PP constituencies. Of those 22, six have been part of the PTI since its inception, while 16 others have been part of the PML-N, the PML-Q and the PPP.
In NA-137, Rao Dawar Hayat, son of former PML-N MNA Rao Mazhar Hayat and Sardar Rashid Tufail, son of former MNA Sardar Muhammad Tufail, are aspirants for the PTI ticket.
In NA-138, former foreign minister Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali and former Kasur bar president Mehar Muhammad Saleem have applied for the PTI ticket.
In NA-139, the PTI has to choose one from Dr Azeem Lakhvi and Asif Nakai. Mr Lakhvi has been part of the PML-N and the PML-Q while Mr Nakai has also been faithful to the PML-Q.
In NA-140, Sardar Talib Nakai is the only choice for the PTI. He has been in the PML-Q camp for years and was elected the MPA in the 2008 general elections.
The PTI has five applicants for the PP-174 ticket. They are Robina Ansari, Ashfaq Kambo, Attaur Rehman, Mubashar Nawaz and Mehar Muhammad Saleem.
In PP-175, the PTI has to pick from Hassan Ali Khan, Masood Bhatti and Sardar Fakhar.
Former PPP district president Sardar Muhammad Hussain Dogar and Barrister Shahid Masood are the applicants for the PP-176 seat.
Retired Col Hashim Ali Dogar, former deputy speaker Hassan Akhtar Mokal’s son Waqas Hassan Mokal and Shabir Husain are the aspirants for PP-177.
Among the applicants for PP-178, Rao Shahid Qayyum has been with the PML-Q and the PPP in past years, while Rana Aqeel Aslam was once in the PML-Q and the PML-N. Rana Abad has been associated with the PML-Q.
In PP-179, Rana Tariq will compete against Pir Mukhtar Ahmed, who ditched the PML-Q for the PTI.
In PP-180, Sardar Asif Nakai is the sole choice for the PTI. He joined the PTI after leaving the PML-Q.
Similarly, Rana Muhammad Aslam is the strong competitor for the PP-181 ticket.
In PP-182, Amjad Ali, the former activist of the PML-Q and the PML-N, will be competing with Masood Bhatti.
Earlier, in the 2013 general elections, the PML-N won all the five NA and eight out of 10 PP seats from the district.
According to political pundits, the main contest in Kasur is likely to be between the PTI and the PML-N.
PML-N’s incumbent MNAs have strong personal votes in their constituencies and their joining to the PTI is likely to strengthen chances for the PTI win.