GUJAR KHAN, Dec 10: It is going to be a fierce fight between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Quaid and Nawaz Leagues once the last party names its candidates for the coveted seats of NA-51, PP-3 and PP-4. PPP is already pitched against the King’s party but voters await the arrival of the dark horses of PML-N before they start making their choices.

There are many contenders for these constituencies of Gujar Khan tehsil but the real contest is going to be fought between the two leagues and the PPP. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, the PPP secretary-general, Raja Tariq Kiani and Brig (retd) Muhammad Hassan are PPP candidates while Raja Qasim Jawaid Ikhlas son of Raja Jawaid Ikhlas city district nazim, Chaudhry Jawaid Kausar and Raja Shaukat Aziz Bhatti, (son of late Justice Raja Abdul Aziz Bhatti, former MNA of PPP) are PML-Q’s candidates for these constituencies.

The electioneering will pick up heat as soon as PML-N announces who it is going to back as its men.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf formally inaugurated his party’s election office on GT Road on Saturday attended by a large audience from different areas of Gujar Khan tehsil.

The Q Leaguers with the active support of its councillors has been active in the constituency from day one. The local bodies resources are being employed without fear in herding voters in the houses of councillors in every village and locality. Their list of promises is as large as the demands of the voters. They will bring gas, pave streets, open schools and give jobs to their educated offspring.

The voters just nod as the record of their performance is only a couple of weeks old. Besides the larger national issues such as the fate of the pre-emergency judiciary and ban on electronic media are also before them and they know these issues are more important than fixing a water tap in a certain street.

In the last elections Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had seen the face of victory after six defeats at the hands of the united PML and while the party’s division paved his way to victory with over 80,000 votes, such a prospect now is unthinkable although PPP supporters are sure of their leader getting the top job if their party wins. Some of the supporters like Col (retd) Abbas of Kaliam, Maj (retd) Iftikhar of Mangote, Chaudhry Hameed Saleem and Brig (retd) Ameer Afsar have parted their ways with Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and now their sympathies are with PML-N.

The aspirants for PML-N ticket for NA-51 are Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz, his brother Chaudhry Khurshid Zaman and his son Chaudhry Khawar Zaman as well as Advocate Yahyah Faiz. Among them Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz (if cleared by the election tribunal) seems strongest among them for the NA seat if the Nawaz League makes judicious choices for the provincial assembly also.

According to reliable sources Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz is trying to win tickets for Chaudhry Iftikhar Warsi (relative of Jawaid Kausar) in PP-3 and for Maj Iftikhar Kiani in PP-4. In that case Mirza Saleem Akram (PP-3) and Advocate Raja Hameed (PP- 4) who claim support of PML-N workers would feel left out. In case Chaudhry Warsi gets the PML-N ticket, he will damage the family vote bank of Mr Kausar giving easy victory to Raja Tariq Kiani of PPP in PP-3.

In PP-4 Raja Shauket Aziz Bhatti is being tipped as a strong candidate against Brig Muhammad Hassan of PPP (former MPA) but the announcement of PML-N candidate there can make ripples in the present set up.

However shifts of sympathies and change of hearts through the active role of pirs (spiritual leaders), baradari and propaganda tactics would start making their impact once the election fever gains temperature. The politics of thana-kutcheri (police station) would also figure as it always does.