SWABI, Oct 19: The local chapter of Awami National Party (ANP) has formed different committees in various areas of the district to work for winning maximum seats in the upcoming local bodies’ elections.

Contrary to other political parties, ANP leaders have taken the local governments elections seriously. The local leaders of the party and former ministers held several meetings to take result-oriented steps for winning the local bodies’ elections in the district, sources said.

The leaders said that they were taking all possible steps for reactivating the party, which dominated the district politics from 1947 to May 11, 2013 elections wherein it tasted a major defeat.

The ANP leaders admitted that rivalry between Asfandyar Wali Khan and Senator Azam Hoti had shaken them. “The great news is that Azam Hoti can’t match Asfandyar Wali Khan, who is the real heir of Walibagh leadership,” said a party leader.

The former district president and three-time MNA, Rehmanullah, when contacted, said that they had discussed various options for the local bodies’ elections.

“All the related factors like getting votes on the basis of clans and forming alliance with different groups and parties have also been discussed. We discussed who could really support us and how could we back them in the elections. We didn’t want nominal alliance but a genuine coalition. It might be at district or provincial level,” he said.

Mr Rehmanullah recalled that in the previous elections they had formed electoral alliance with some political parties but their partners did not support them in the real sense. “In future, we want to avoid such alliances. We want a real embrace like Pakhtun culture and traditions,” he said.

Some key local leaders said that alliance between ANP and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP), a political party of Tarakai family, that won three provincial and one National Assembly seats from the district in May 11 elections, might be difficult.

AJIP also defeated ANP candidates including Asfandyar Wali Khan, who contested 2008 general election from NA-12, Swabi-1, during the previous two general elections.

Tamraiz Khan, former district general secretary of ANP, said that an alliance with Pakistan People’s Party might be a good choice while it seemed difficult to join hands with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz because the leaguers had always kept them in the dark.

“Let’s wait and see what is decided by the central leadership of our party. Our big problem is that the party membership drive and local bodies’ elections will fall at the same time,” he said.

The ANP leaders and workers said that after defeat in the general elections, there was need for an alliance with other parties to save the party from further weakening.