PML-N further strengthened in Multan by-polls

Islamabad
Despite low turnout in Friday’s by-poll to Punjab Assembly seat PP-196 Multan compared to the voters’ participation in 2013 election to this seat, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) proportionately got more ballots.
This time, PML-N’s Rana Mehmoodul Hassan secured 30,278 votes as against 33,030 ballots in 2013 of his party colleague, Abdul Waheed Chaudhry, who was later disqualified for possessing two national identity cards, paving the way for the present by-election.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) nominee Rana Abdul Jabbar clinched 19,321 votes on Friday compared to his previous 28,826 ballots.
Now, the margin of victory was 10,957 votes as against the lead of 4,204 votes earlier. This time, the voter turnout was 33.23% compared to 50.45% of 2013.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) position remained dismal as before. Now, its contestant Mohammad Hussain Arain secured 7,334 votes as against 10,000 votes last time. Former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani campaigned hard for the PPP representative.
He had been supporting the demand of south Punjab province. So was Pervez Musharraf, whose All Pakistan Muslim League could manage just 191 votes in the by-election. It was established that such showmanship played no trick.
The triumph of the PML-N cardholder is a clear setback to senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who pressed into service all his resources to get the seat, falling in his National Assembly constituency, NA-150 Multan. The prolonged sit-in of the PTI produced no dividends for it in the by-poll. Rather it had a negative impact as its votes proportionally recorded a downward slide.
This is obviously a significant gain of the PML-N, which retained its seat although none of its senior federal or provincial leader visited the constituency to canvass for their contestant. However, on Qureshi’s suggestion, PTI Chairman Imran Khan held a public meeting in Multan for this by-election.
In the internal PTI politics, Qureshi’s position is impaired whereas that of Jehangir Tareen is solidified to some extent because of the result of the by-poll.
Mehmoodul Hassan is always considered a powerful PML-N candidate in Multan if the results of previous elections are any guide.
In 2013, he was pitched against Qureshi in NA-150 constituency but lost with a margin of 13,081 votes. He had bagged 79,680 votes as against winner’s 92,761 ballots. PPP’s Babu Nafeez Ansari had got 12,208 votes.
In the 2008 general elections, Mehmoodul Hassan had the NA-150 seat by securing 57,774 ballots compared to PPP’s Abdul Qadir Gilani (son of former prime minister) who had clinched 43,299 ballots. PML-Q candidate Fazal Ahmad Sheikh had secured 25,158 votes.
In the 2002 parliamentary polls, Mehmoodul Hassan had also won this seat by bagging 22,387 votes compared to PML-Q nominee Tanveerul Hassan Gilani’s 17,636 ballots and PPP cardholder Malik Mukhtar Awan’s 15,548 votes.
It is satisfying to note that no high-flying allegations of rigging were hurled by the PTI or any other losing party, which are usually leveled. Hardly any interference by the Punjab government to get the seat emerged at any stage.