Mardan braces for tough contest among rival candidates

MARDAN: Tough competition is expected among the candidates of Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat-Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on three national and eight provincial assemblies’ constituencies in Mardan.
All the parties have accelerated political activities after the completion of nomination papers scrutiny. There are three national and eight provincial assemblies’ seats in Mardan.
In the 2008 general election, PPP, ANP and JUI-F bagged one National Assembly seat each in Mardan. While among the eight provincial assembly seats, PPP won four seats, ANP three and JUI-F one in the previous election.
Now for the National Assembly NA-9 seat, 28 candidates have filled nomination papers and tough competition is expected among former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti, Maulana Shujaul Mulk of JUI-F, Khwaja Mohammad Hoti, who is contesting election on PML-N ticket, and Shazia Aurangzeb of PPP. In the 2008 election, Khwaja Hoti won this election. However, Himayatullah Mayar of ANP won the seat in the 2012 by-election after the resignation of Khwaja Hoti.
Around 22 candidates have filled nomination papers for NA-10 and tough competition is expected among JUI-F candidate Maulana Mohammad Qasim, PPP candidate Nawabzada Abdul Qadir Khan and ANP candidate Mohammad Farooq Akram Khan. In the 2008 election, Maulana Mohammad Qasim won this seat.
For NA-11, 25 candidates, including PPP candidate Khanzada Khan, JUI-F candidate Mufti Imdadullah and ANP candidate Inayat Khan are in the run. In the 2008 polls, Abdul Akbar Khan won this seat on the PPP ticket.
For PK-23, 40 candidates have filled nomination papers and tough competition is expected among former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti, PML-N candidate Umar Farooq Khan, PPP’s Khan Khawas Khan, JUI-S’s Ikramullah Shahid and Mufti Amjad Khan of JUI-F. In 2008 elections Ameer Haider Hoti won this seat.

For PK-24, 36 candidates have filled nomination papers and tough competition is expected among JUI candidate Maulana Amanat Shah, PPP’s Abdus Samad Khan Toru, PPP’s Ali Khan and PTI’s Nawabzada Arsala Khan.
Around 26 candidates have filled nomination papers for PK-25. ANP has fielded Ghani Dad Khan, PML-N Bakhtawar Khan, nephew of Ghani Dad Khan, PTI Obaid Khan Mayar and JUI-F Maulana Israrul Haq. Ghani Dad Khan had won the seat in 2008 election. Ghani Dad Khan has thrice won this seat, but in the upcoming elections he will face a tough competition.
Some 30 candidates will try their luck on PK-26 and a tough contest is expected to take place as the PPP has put up Sher Afghan Khan, ANP Malik Ijaz, PML-N Iftikhar Khan Mohmand, JUI-F Khawar Khan and JI Mian Nadir Shah. Sher Afghan Khan of PPP had won the seat in 2008 election.
For PK 27, 39 candidates have filled nomination papers, including Asad Khan of PPP, son of former senior minister Rahimdad Khan, Bahadur of ANP, Shahid Khan of JUI-F, Fazle Rabbani of JI and Engineer Adil Nawaz of PTI.
For PK 28, 18 candidates have filed their nomination papers, tough competition is expected among ANP candidate Gohar Ali Shah, JUI-F’s Hafiz Akhtar Ali, whose nomination papers were rejected and he has submitted appeal in election tribunal and PML-N’s Sikandar Khan. Hafiz
Akhtar Ali has twice won this seat.
In 2008 election, he won the seat the position of ANP candidate will become stronger if the election tribunal also rejected the appeal of Hafiz Akhtar Ali.
For PK-29, 24 candidates have filled nomination papers and tough competition is expected among PPP candidate Abdul Akbar Khan, ANP’s Idrees Bacha, PML-N’s Akhtar Nawaz, JUI-F’s Taus Khan. In 2008 election PPP candidate Abdul Akbar Khan won this seat and gained 11715 votes.
For PK 30, 41 candidates have filed nomination papers and thorny contest is expected among PPP’s Imtiaz Shagai, JUI-F’s Tajul Amin Jabal, ANP’s candidate Latif Gul and PML-N’s Azam Khan.
In the 2008 election, PPP’s Iftikhar Shagai won this seat, but he died in a road accident while going to attend the death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. His brother Imtiaz Shagai won this seat in the by-election.