KASUR, July 24: Since the general elections are expected to be just round the corner, the political wrangling is at the peak in Kasur - the hometown of two foreign ministers, one is still holding the office. The political horizon is still not clear because some political figures have not put their cards on the table.

The NA-140 constituency is the political arena of former foreign minister and PPP leader Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali and sitting Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri. Among the other expected candidates are: Dr Zahid Lakhvi of the Ahle Hadith, who will have MMA’s backing, and Development and Works Minister Sardar Hassan Akhtar Mokal, the sitting MPA elected from PP-178.

Political pundits say that some 50 per cent biradari of Sardar Aseff, residing in the NA-140 constituency, and his ancestral Mandi Usmanwala village, can play a decisive role for him in the upcoming elections. Besides, the ideological vote bank of the PPP also exists there.

The former foreign minister had not fought the last general elections, but his brother Sardar Farooque Ahmed secured 18,000 votes for the MPA slot.

Experts are of the view that since Sardar Javid Ashique Dogar, who had secured 17,000 votes in the last elections, has withdrawn his support, chances of success for Mr Aseff may decrease immensely this time.

Nevertheless, Tehsil Nazim Agha Naveed Hashim Rizvi, who bagged over 15,000 votes in previous election, is reported to have offered his support to Mr Aseff in the next polls.

It may be mentioned that the tehsil nazim, who had been elected on the ARD platform, mainly due to his collaboration with the PPP, had joined hands with the ruling PML only a few months after he had won the elections.

While tehsil nazim’s mother Nishat Begum, a noted political figure of Kasur, still has a soft corner for the ARD. She may contest the election for the MPA slot from the constituency falling under NA-140. Both Nishat Begum and her son have therefore lost their credibility in political circles.

Last month, the tehsil nazim had taken some 36 nazims and naib nazims to the Chief Minister’s House in Lahore express their loyalty with the ruling PML.

Later, most of the nazims, including PML-N city president Ghulam Mustafa Sabri, denied their affiliation with the ruling PML in a press conference.

Political analysts say that MNA Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri is facing a tough situation as the PML has fallen a prey to internal conflict.

MPA Sardar Hassan Akhtar Mokal, who had got 23,000 votes in the last elections, has declared to contest elections against Khursheed Kasuri no matter his decision pleases the chief minister. He claims that Mr Kasuri had won the last general election due to his support.

This may create a difficult situation for Mr Kasuri because Mr Mokal has an affiliation with Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khai and Sardar Javid Ashique Dogar, who had bagged 22,000 and 20,000 votes, respectively, in the previous election.

Now, the only option left with Mr Kasuri is his affiliation with Dr Zahid Lakhvi whose father, who will not contest the upcoming elections, had secured 49,399 votes against Mr Kasuri’s 50,318 votes in the last elections.

According to a source, Dr Lakhvi has rejected a ministry offered by the ruling PML for his support to Mr Kasuri. Dr Zahid has said his cooperation with the PPP is not possible because of ideological differences.

Political pundits also hold that the Lal Masjid issue may erode Mr Kasuri’s vote bank as number of voters in this constituency have religious bent of mind.

The PML-N has yet not announced any candidate in the constituency.

Kasuri’s brother Bukhtiar Kasuri, who belongs to the ARD camp, has so far succeeded in bringing the Kasur and Chunian tehsil nazims into the ruling PML fold. He, however, has yet to play his role in terms of support for his brother. The ARD-backed district nazim has significant vote bank in NA-140 constituency.

The NA-139 constituency may prove a safe haven for the present foreign minister, but there he will have to face sitting MNA Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed of the PPP, who had secured about 28,0000 votes in the previous elections while Mr Kasuri could bag only 15,000 votes.

This time Mr Kasuri has got the support of District Naib Nazim Maqsood Sabir Ansari and Tehsil Nazim Agha Naveed Hashim Rizvi.

Analysts say that Maqsood Sabir, whose father has been elected MPA for the five consecutive terms, may prove beneficial because of his handsome vote bank while Mr Rizvi may serve as a broken reed for he has a weak influence in the urban areas.

MNA Syeda Neelofur Mehdi, who had obtained 25,000 votes as an independent candidate in the last elections from NA-139 constituency, is trying to get the PML-N ticket. She has close links with the Kasur tehsil nazim and the district naib nazim.

Since Shaikh Waseem, who had given a tough time to Ms Mehdi in the last elections and has an old affiliation with the party, the PML-N leadership would most probably prefer him to Ms Mehdi.