Close contest in Multan exposes PPP weak points
Abdul Qadir Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. — File photo
MULTAN, July 20: It is time for the Gilanis to look back on the election trail.
Although PPP candidate Abdul Qadir Gilani retained the seat vacated by his father, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, in a by-election for NA-151 on Thursday, the tough time given to the party by independent candidate Shaukat Bosan exposes many of its weak points.
Political observers say the Gilani camp, which banked on influential people of the area, seems to have lost support of PPP workers and the man on the street.
During his four-year tenure, Mr Gilani would invite notables of the area to the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad. And the commoners waited for the day of the ballot to demonstrate their displeasure.
Mr Gilani used to fly to Lahore on weekends and formed a team to be in touch with people of his constituency on his behalf.
But the team, comprising his younger brother Mujtaba Gilani, sons Musa and Qadir Gilani and members of the Punjab Assembly from NA-151, failed to deliver. People complain that members of the team obliged only their cronies.
According to a source, one of the MPAs had ditched the Gilanis after developing difference with the former prime minister.
Though the MPA was brought back to the group by members of his clan, he did not participate actively in electioneering for the junior Gilani.
Relatively thin turnout at several polling stations which were earlier strongholds of the PPP was another major cause which brought the contest to the edge for the Gilanis.
The team failed to motivate people in PP-198 and PP-199 to come to polling stations. The Gilanis failed to effectively mobilise PPP workers.
During the tenure of his premiership, PPP workers were the most neglected community in the district because Mr Gilani did nothing to strengthen the party’s organisational structure.
Although some party workers received a few favours, the overall administrative and party affairs remained in the hands of a select group which usually scored the rank and file.
The workers were not allowed even to meet the former prime minister during the election campaign.
“Mr Gilani has spent much time in the PM House, Presidency and DHA Lahore and now he should own the NA-151 constituency if he wants to avoid a defeat in the general election,” said a PPP worker.
This is time for Imran Khan to rethink his strategy of solo flight.I think despitehis sincerity he will disappoint the nation and in this way will allow the plunderers victory.
Is bar Haj mai kitnay ghareeb ki marni ha?
Gilanis may have won the election but the fact remains that they did not enjoy the same following which they had back in 2008. This is their home constituency for ages after all and to get such a tough fight and lower number of votes is an indicative of PPP's poor performance in the office over the last four and a half years. People need to think hard about their future, their kids future, and critically look at the PPP Govt's performance. Don't get blackmailed in the name of Bhuttos, they are long gone and will never come back, so be aware of these thugs in power today who are exploiting Bhutto's name and have nothing to do with them.
Another Born To Be got the bounty. Rigging (may be), but forced voting is not uncommon in Pakistan to ensure success. Not, kidding as I seen it before in 90's in Swat, where voting folks were miamed towards a person or party wihout any regard for what the voter need or want.
Having allowed another Born To Be is more of an indicator of a continuing corruption-full government than a downsizing of PPP support. What matters to looters is to loot through any means and thus a victory by half a vote not even full is good enough to serve the ulterior motives.
If not our elders, hope the youth in Pakistan move towards breaking the status quo. A far cry as only youths in ciities may have such a liberty and awareness which is tiny fraction of all the youths. May take a decade for the rural youth to have a free right to choose and awareness of how to vote. The awareness would come through education and thus the likelihood of wider based education of rural youths may take decades under the continuing political systems headed by the Born To Be. I guess I am carying for a change, but have left Pakistan a decade ago for settlement abroad. So my supposition may not make sense now as I dont have first hand experience of the ground realities in rural areas as I used to be.
The sad reality is that we the masses are neither represented nor wish to change things.
A troubled youth is propelled by his disgraced father, using state machinery and support and we have a new face elected! Pakistan is the realm of feudal and tribal families … we deserve our plight as long as we sit by and do nothing. Enjoy the pillage Mr. Gillani … it is your family right and inheritance
Although the result shows that PPP candidate Abdul Qadir Gilani retained the seat vacated by his father with the complete mechanism of leaders and workers but the calculations proves it downsizing comparing to its previous numbers of voters. This gives a warning to the PPP organizers that forthcoming general election for them it not be so easy as they feels now gaining by-election NA-151 seat.
However, this by-election of NA-151 also sends a message to the opposition parties to keep[ more cooperation between each others if they really wants to fight PPP and defeat them in the forthcoming general election of Pakistan.
look at this Mr. AQ Gillani…….does any part of his personality portrays him as a Leader of this nation. I wonder when these inherited politicians will go away from this country, these inefficient, shameless curses.
This analysis is based on the same points as circulated by the whole right wing freom political patries to media and etc etc to hide their failure to win the bye election. I totally disagree.
So anybody who is not pro-ppp is automatically pro-right wingers ? There are plenty of right-wingers in PPP too you know.
Could not agree more. PPP Vs MNA / IJI…. And a defeat for combined opposition.
Food for thought for the opposition.
Not only you sign in as MOON, but I think you are also living on the PPP MOON. KhanChangezKhan, I totally agree with you, but I wish PTI wakes up to this reality. To win, the Gilanis have even played the 'Break Punjab' card.
Absolutely agree with you moon. Only in Pakistan a margin of victory of 7% against a powerful alliance in a province they rule is considered small. In US Obama won my 4% margin and they considered it as a landslide. Go figure?
I am just amazed that more than 60k ppl still want these plunderers as their representative. Not a good sighting.
Just shows how disconnected you are with the reality, not a good sighting either!
This is called Supremacy of Electorate — that's why it's called democracy.
And then we wonder why corruption still prevails in our society. If we keep on electing such corrupt people, Pakistan will go nowhere.
any one else find this picture of Mr Gillani to be rather douche-y?