For the family of Baba Muhammad Shafique Pappa, a former councillor, in Gulberg, Lahore, an election is like a marathon; the one who runs the fastest will win.

The Pappa family has been associated with the Pakistan Peoples Party since the 1970s. Though in recent elections, the party didn’t do well, the family religiously facilitates rallies and campaigns for the party candidates. This year’s election is no different.

“We are least bothered about the results; we’re focused only on electioneering,” says Waris Ali, son of the late Baba Shafique.

Asked what electioneering involves, he says, “It’s about having a smart plan and a team that’s committed to success.”

In the lead-up to the February 8 polls, campaigning has peaked in the city. Like Waris Ali, all candidates in all constituencies of Lahore have planned their campaigns with the help of seasoned ‘campaigners.’

As soon as the election schedule was announced, Abbas Ali, who introduces himself as a PML-N coordinator in Millat Colony — which falls in PP-170 — in Lahore, readied a team of diehard party workers. “We waited for the announcement of the party candidate, which took several weeks, even though we were sure about the nomination of Ahsan Sharafat,” he tells TNS.

This is going to be Ahsan Sharafat’s second attempt at making it to the Punjab Assembly. He first contested in a 2022 by-election in which he didn’t emerge victorious. But Ali is sure that “things are very different this time around.”

Pointing to a party office on Guru Mangat Road, he says, “This is the place that I built with my own money. I’m spending Rs 15,000-20,000 every day on running the office. This is the least I can do for my party.”

Other parties have also opened election offices in every ward. “At least one major office in a ward is a must,” says Zahid Abdul Haq, who likes to call himself “a polling expert.”

He adds, “The main office operates directly under the candidate, but there may be several sub-offices in a ward, most of which are opened by the party workers.”

The PTI candidate for NA-122, Advocate Salman Akram Raja, has opened an office on Hali Road. The place is open 24/7. It wears a festive look in the evenings.

A political party’s office is supposed to coordinate the workers’ door-to-door canvassing. “I’ve seen elections since 1985. The only electioneering that has stood the test of time is door-to-door canvassing,” says Haq. “When the workers connect with the voters, right at their doorstep, the voters feel empowered. In several cases, I have seen that voters do not vote if the teams don’t reach them.”

Ali, a political worker in PP-170, seconds Haq, and regards door-to-door canvassing as the cornerstone of traditional election campaigning. “Generally, we start our [door-to-door] campaign at 4 in the afternoon,” he says, “because that’s when the working-class people are returning home. Evenings are the best time to mingle with the common people.”

“When the workers connect with the voters, right at their doorstep, the voters are made to feel empowered. In several cases, I have seen that voters do not vote if the teams don’t reach them,” says Zahid Abdul Haq, who claims to be a polling expert.

The candidates are often accompanied by a dedicated team. For instance, Advocate Raja can be spotted roaming the markets, flanked by enthusiastic party workers. One of them, Ali Shah, says, “Markets are where you get to meet both the customers and the traders.

“On Wednesday last, we toured Ichhra [which falls in PP-171]. We had dhol walas with us,” he says.

Raja’s team, says Shah, consist of “dedicated volunteers who’ve been running from street to street, handing out party posters.”

Abdullah Jatoi, a Punjab University student from Dera Ghazi Khan, is one such PTI volunteer. He says that the people “are excited to see us among them. They appreciate our efforts for public mobilisation.”

Such grassroots techniques are being employed by all candidates. Door-to-door work often transforms into public rallies aka corner meetings. “As we move from street to street, the crowd grows and takes the form of a rally,” Jatoi claims.

As the polling day approaches, campaigns pick up. The city is a witness to traditional rallies, marked by passionate speeches, fervent slogans and party songs/ jingles.

The art of oratory plays a pivotal role in these impromptu gatherings, where the candidates stress their commitment to local issues and connect with voters on a personal level.

In Ichhra, a number of banners hoisted in various parts of the streets flash the residents’ gratitude towards their favourite candidates for fixing potholes on the roads, lining the streets and resolving the issue of gas supply. Moeen Zubair, a resident of Ichhra, says that election is the season to make the most of. “Our clan decided to support the candidate who’d solve our problems prior to the polling day. The good part is, a candidate approached our community elders, who decided to support him.”

NA-127 witnessed a similar situation recently when the PPP chairperson, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, sought the support of former governor Chaudhry Sarwar to win over the Araeen clan. “Chaudhry Sarwar’s support has proved beneficial,” says Faisal Mir, the PPP candidate for a Punjab Assembly seat.

In Pakistan, community bonds and connections with clans play a significant role in elections. Candidates often rely on familial and communal ties, leveraging their lineages to establish trust.

When he was starting his election campaign, Raja had tweeted that he needed volunteers. It worked. Within a day, thousands of people had registered with his party office. These team are organised largely through WhatsApp groups. Raja has taken his campaign to online spaces. The residents in his constituency often encounter ads on Facebook and YouTube that announce him as a chief contestant from Lahore.

Sharafat’s team, too, is running a formidable campaign on social media. There can be no doubt that digital media have made significant inroads in the electioneering landscape that previously used to be all about leg work, stepping out of the house, running from door to door and party songs. Campaigning physically can be very tedious as well as expensive.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship