SWABI: Around 15,000 women voters are likely to cast their votes in the local government elections’ re-polling at 17 polling stations of nine union councils in the district today (Thursday), officials in the district office of Election Commission of Pakistan told Dawn here on Wednesday.

They said that the total number of male and female voters at the stations where re-polling would be held was 17,500. The 17 polling stations include 15 for women and two for men.

They said that the re-polling would be held at three polling stations for women each in the union councils Naranji and Yaqubi, two each in Sodher and Tandkohi and one each in polling stations of Saleem Khan, Shiekh Jana, Bachai, Gabasni and Dobian UCs.

The two polling stations for men where re-polling would be held are in Dobian union council, he said.

Read more: Swabi women take part in election campaign for first time

Re-polling being held at total 17 polling stations in nine union councils

The contestants and ECP officials said that it was for the first time that focus had shifted to women voters whose votes would play a key role in determining the results.

Bakhtiar Ahmad, a candidate for the district council seat in Naranji, said that it was for the first time that women voters came to know about the importance of their votes. Other contestants said that they were expecting a high turnout of women.

MAY 30 VOTES: Following the district council elections held on May 30, Akhtar Zaman of JUI-F had got 2,835 votes, followed by Abdul Sattar of ANP with 2,075 votes at Tandkohi UC. In Dobian UC, independent candidate Asad Bacha had got 1,610 votes and Mukhtiar Ahmad of ANP 1,268 votes, while in Sheikh Jana UC, Nawaz Ali of JI secured 1,621 votes and Gohar Taj of ANP 1,392.

Position at other UCs was as follows: Naranji UC, Bakhtiar Ahmad of ANP 1,338 votes and independent candidate Aamer Zeb 8,44 votes; Saleem Khan UC, independent candidate Gulzar Hussain 2,059 votes and Muharam Taj of ANP 1,803; Sodher UC, independent candidate Sirzamin 1,522 votes and ANP’s Iftikhar Khan 977 votes; and at Gabasni UC, independent candidate Abdur Raziq was leading.

Following May 30 LG elections to the tehsil council the candidates’ position at Tandkohi UC was that Faizul Hayat of ANP had got 2,025 votes and Wajid Khan of PTI 1,776 votes, in Dobian UC Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan candidate Jehanzeb Khan 1,180 votes and Manfat Khan of ANP 1,174 votes.

Independent candidate Gul Hayat was leading in Gabasni UC and Sartaj Khan of JUI-F remained runner-up; Sheikh Jana UC, Hasnain of JI 1,070 votes and Manzurullah of JUI-F 916; Naranji UC, independent candidate Munawar Shah 1,138 votes and Gohar Ali of ANP 892 votes; Saleem Khan UC, independent candidate Hussain Zada 2,036 votes and ANP candidate Usman Sher 2,029 votes; while in Sodher UC Mudassir Nazar of PTI had obtained 938 votes and Wajid Ali of ANP 680 votes in the May 30 polls.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2015

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