LAHORE: Most Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders and workers in Punjab think the party may continue to suffer ‘humiliating defeats’ in future elections if its chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari doesn’t care to run its campaign.

After its dismal performance in the 2013 general elections, the PPP failed to stage a comeback in Saturday’s Cantonment boards’ polls in Punjab, making its leaders and workers disappointed.

In background interviews by this reporter, some office-bearers and old-timers of PPP expressed their dismay at the top leadership for not doing enough to revive the party in Punjab. They say they have been hearing since the May 2013 elections from PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari that he and his son Bilawal would be among them to revive the party but practically the father and son are least bothered about the party in Punjab.

“In 2013, we lost for being a headless party. Neither Mr Zardari nor Bilawal ran the election campaign. At the moment it seems the PPP in Punjab has been orphaned. How can it stage a comeback without its commander. The commander is sitting in London and even not ready to telephonically address the party workers. How the workers will get motivated,” deplored an old guard.

“After 2013 elections we got further marginalised in Cantonment boards’ elections in Punjab. But is our leadership bothered about it. It’s certainly not,” he said.

Wattoo pledges conventions in days to come

Did Mr Zardari and Bilawal know that nobody was interested in the PPP tickets in Cantonment boards’ polls in Punjab, said an office-bearer. The PPP gave funds to those who agreed to contest in Lahore just to avoid embarrassment but even then it failed to find candidates for all 20 seats, he said.

“As the party’s popularity is touching its lowest ebb, I am afraid the PPP may not find potential candidates for upcoming local elections,” he said.

A senior leader from Punjab is of the view that the ‘differences’ between father and son over party affairs are costing it dearly. “The PPP workers are not happy with the local leadership but they are willing to shun their differences provided Mr Bilawal or Mr Zardari is among them and lead the upcoming local election campaign,” he said.

“Both presidents of central and south Punjab Mian Manzoor Wattoo and Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood say they have been working hard to strengthen the party at the grassroots level but the result is before everyone. Their efforts cannot bear fruit unless Bilawal reaches out to the masses,” he commented.

If a party source is to be believed, the chances of Bilawal’s returns to run the campaign for local polls (scheduled for September) are minimal. Although the PPP has categorically denied differences between the father and son, Bilawal has yet to give any indication that he will soon run the party or its election campaign.

Mr Wattoo believes that the party leadership -- Mr Zardari and Bilawal – would run the campaign in local elections in which it will stage a comeback.

“Cantonment boards’ elections are not the yardstick of the popularity of any party. The real test will come in the local polls where the PPP will perform well,” Mr Wattoo told Dawn here on Sunday. He said Mr Zardari had already announced starting a campaign for the coming elections and the leadership would spearhead it.

He said he would start worker conventions in the province as part of the party’s campaign for local polls.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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