SARGODHA, Aug 23: Leading groups of the ruling party from all six tehsils of Sargodha on Tuesday unanimously nominated MNA Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema for the coveted slot of district nazim.

At a meeting here in the evening, PML leaders, including MNAs Chaudhry Ghias Ahmed Mela, Shahzadi Tiwana and Tanzeela Aamer Cheema (niece of Pervaiz Elahi and Ch Shujaat), provincial minister Aamer Sultan Cheema, MPAs Malik Shoaib Awan, Faisal Cheema, Rabnawaz Luk and Zahid Iqbal Sandhu, ex-MNAs Malik Adnan Hayat Noon, Chaudhry Nasir Muhammad Ali, Chaudhry Farrukh Javed Ghuman and ex-MPA Sardar Ghulam Asghar Lahri announced that Anwar Cheema fully deserved for the office.

Cheema thanked the meeting participants and nominated Sardar Ghulam Asghar Lahri for Sahiwal tehsil nazim, Bakhtiar Mela for Kotmomen, Chaudhry Farrukh Javed Ghuman for Sillanwali and Sardar Fateh Khan Meikan for Shahpur tehsil.

For Sargodha and Bhalwal tehsils, Cheema said the decision would be taken in a couple of days.

This announcement (about Cheema) has altogether changed the political scenario in the district. There have been reports after the Aug 10 polls that the Piracha group would join the PML to get district nazim slot for Haroon Ehsan Piracha. The reports were based on the ground that since the ruling party had a number of divisions, the PML leadership wanted to field not-so-controversial candidate .

How the anti-Cheema lobby within the PML reacts if the chief minister also supports the MNA remains to be seen. It is likely that neither Mazhar Qureshi nor Kalayar will support Cheema.

Similarly, Mian Manazir Ali Ranjha who wanted his son Sultan Ali Ranjha to become Kotmomen tehsil nazim may not back Cheema who (during the Tuesday meeting) nominated Bakhtiar Ahmed Mela for the office.

Banking on his connections in the army, Mela has been an aspirant for the district nazim slot. But Mian Manazir Ali Ranjha may create problems for him to become the Kotmomen nazim if he strikes adjustments with other groups.

The Cheema group may also face problems in Sahiwal, Shahpur and Bhalwal tehsil nazim elections. In Bhalwal, the Piracha group is in majority. In Sargodha tehsil, there are so many candidates for tehsil nazim hovering around Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema for the ruling party favour. But none of the aspirants commands majority of elected UC nazims and naib nazims.