CHAKWAL City News

Triangular fight for LG elections in Chakwal
From Our Correspondent
CHAKWAL: Electioneering for the local government elections is gaining momentum in the district as polling will be held on October 31.
There are 71 union councils in the district and more than 220 candidates are contesting for the slots of chairmen and vice-chairmen. Each union council has six general councillors seats while there are six municipals committees, Chakwal, Choa Saiden Shah, Kalar Kahar, Bhoun, Talagang and Lawa. The ruling party – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz - has fielded its candidates for all seats while its main opponent parties are the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf and the Sardar Ghulam Abbas group. The other political parties – Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Awami Tehrik – are either supporting the PTI or the Sardar Ghulam Abbas group. The PTI and Sardar group have made adjustments on 20 per cent seats.
A very close and keen contest is expected in all the union councils. The district is a stronghold of the PML-N. In the 2013 general elections, the PML-N candidates have made a clean sweep in the district by winning all the two national assembly and four provincial assembly seats. The independent panel led by Sardar Ghulam Abbas had given a tough time to the PML-N in the general elections.
There are 16 returning officers and 32 assistant returning officers, who would conduct the LG elections while 826 polling stations have been set up for the polls. Of them, 256 polling stations have been declared most sensitive where additional police force would be deputed.
Meanwhile, District Returning Officer Mehmood Javed Bhatti, who is also the DCO, has requested the Punjab government to send six companies of Pak Army to assist the district administration to maintain the law and order during the elections. It is learnt that the army troops will reach Chakwal on October 29.