TAXILA: Differences among the ranks and overconfidence led to the defeat of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in the local government elections of cantonment boards in Taxila and Wah.

Though the opposition PML-N had not joined any coalition or made seat adjustments with any party it swept the polls paving the way for forming the local government in the two garrison cities.

According to political observers, the differences between Wahdat Colony and Lalarukh secretariats of the ruling party, unwise decision regarding distribution of tickets in two constituencies of Wah, the mantra of the local PTI leadership accusing former rulers of all public issues and confidence to win the polls led to its poor performance.

Due to the internal differences, the ruling party did not award ticket to any candidate in Ward 1 and 7 of Wah which led to the division of its vote bank clearing the way for the PML-N victory.

The ruling party has political domination in the area as one national and two provincial assembly seats of Taxila and Wah were clinched by it in the 2018 general elections. Besides, it had also swept the previous local bodies elections in the cantonment boards from both the cities.

Moreover, Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who was leading the party electioneering campaign, had announced multimillion rupees development projects in the area though the election commission had taken notice of it and imposed a fine on him for the violation of the election code of conduct.

There was also no other political heavyweight to challenge him as his arch rival former federal minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had distanced himself from electioneering due to differences with the PML-N leadership.

But the PML-N filled the vacuum by holding public meetings and succeeded to make a comeback with its second line of leadership.

“The result of local bodies elections is an eyeopener for the ruling party leadership as instead of resolving public issues it put all the blames on the previous governments,” said Syed Zaheer Shah Zaildar, a local political observer.

“It is high time for the local PTI leadership to address public issues like construction of roads, provision of healthcare and education,” said Saeed Siddiqui, another political observer.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2021