SWABI, April 29: The Awami National Party (ANP) could face an uphill task to defend NA-13, Swabi-II, in May 11 elections, as its former MNA and MPAs belonging to the area failed to deliver according to the people’s expectations during their five years in government.

In the prevailing scenario any mainstream party could win from this constituency, which includes Topi, Chota Lahor, Tordher, Manki, Marghuz, Zaida, Jalsai, Jalbai, Kunda, Anbar, Kalabat, Zarobi, Kotha, Batakara, Maini, Sheikh Dheri and the entire Gadoon belt.

Pervez Khan, then MNA, largely stayed away from the people, while during last five years loadshedding increased manifolds, roads in the area remained dilapidated, and development of Gadoon Estate was ignored. Topi, which was upgraded to tehsil level by the previous MMA government, had been ignored in development projects.

Iftikhar Ahmad Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Amir Nawaz Khan of Jamaat-i-Islami, Asad Qaiser of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Shahram Tarakai of Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan and Mohammad Naeem of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians are among some prominent candidates from this constituency.

“The electoral alliance against ANP had proved crucial in the past. When there were many candidates then the ANP candidate enjoyed a slight advantage. This time the rival parties failed to unite against its candidate, but despite that this election will be an uphill task for the ANP,” said a local analyst.In the district, only JUI-F and Qaumi Watan Party have entered in seat adjustment and the remaining parties have fielded their respective candidates.

In NA-13, the ANP, PPPP, JUI-F, PTI and PML-N all enjoy a reasonable popularity among masses.

In 2002 elections, the NA-13 seat was won by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal candidate with a huge margin. That was the time when popularity of the religious group was at its peak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Then MMA candidate Maulana Khalil Ahmad was from the JUI-F, who got 50,096 votes, while his rival ANP’s Mohammad Sadiq could manage 19,471 votes, and Iftikhar Khan of PML-N (16,749).

In 2008 elections, the ANP managed to win this seat while the PPP candidate finished as runner up. Because of JI’s boycott and
decision of Maulana Khalil to contest elections as independent candidate, the JUI-F failed to defend this seat. Pervez Khan of ANP got 26,603 votes, Mohammad Naeem of PPP 19,418 and Liaquat Ahmad Khan of PML-N 14,469 votes in these elections.

Observers said that things had changed now after poor performance of the ANP-led coalition government and the result of this election in NA-13 was expected to be different. They also said that Asad Qaiser had not been giving sufficient time to woo reasonable number of voters of this constituency due to his commitments on provincial level.

Some observers have predicated a tough contest among Mr Tarakai, ANP’s Sarwar Khan, PPPP’s Mohammad Naeem and Attaul Haq Darvaish. However, much depends on campaigns of the political parties in the next 12 days.

They said that the Gadoon and Razaar regions voters had always played a critical role in victory of the candidate from this constituency.