MULTAN City News

PML-N, PPP, PTI flex muscle for today’s PP-196 by-polls
From Nadeem Shah
MULTAN: Though 13 candidates are contesting the today’s PP-196 by-polls, a triangular fight is expected among the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf.
The candidates of the three main political parties held corner meetings in the constituency to win the support of the voters.
Senior politician Makhdoom Javed Hashmi had run the election campaign of PML-N candidate Rana Mehmoodul Hassan. He had also taken part in his door-to-door campaign. Sources said that the PML-N senior leadership had requested Hashmi for running the campaign of the party candidate.
PTI vice-chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi had run the election campaign of the party candidate, Rana Abdul Jabbar. He claims that the youth belonging to Bhutta clan will cast their votes in favour of the PTI candidate. Pakistan People’s Party candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Hussain Arian has improved his position in the constituency and Syed Ali Musa Gillani had run his campaign.
Political pundits said that Arain clan votes might divide between the PPP and PML-N candidates. They said that Bhutta clan had 20,000-25,000 votes in the constituency.
They said that Akhtar Hussain Bhutta had contested on a PPP ticket from PP-196 and got 10,000 votes. Now, he has joined the PML-N. He is the Punjab Chief Ministers’ Special Task Force Multan district chairman for recommending and proposing development schemes. Akhtar Bhutta will try his best to get the votes of his clan in favour of the PML-N candidate. Meanwhile, the Met office has predicted hot and dry weather on the polling day.