SARGODHA: Police did not allow reporters to visit a polling station on Thursday in union council (UC) No 17 after a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) UC chairman candidate alleged rigging. Police officials manning the station said the returning officer had banned entry of media into the polling station.

Women in village Laliani did not exercise their right of franchise following their 65-year-old tradition.

Voters’ turnout in Sargodha district remained low on in local government’s second phase polls. For 180 UCs of the district council and 22 of the city, up to 1.97 million voters polled votes. Polling began at various polling stations after 10am.

Rifts among the PML-N leadership impacted the party performance in the city. PML-N workers participated in elections as independent candidates while parliamentarians also supported independent candidate against the party ticket holders.

Wadpa employees openly opposed PML-N candidates openly in protest at government’s privatisation policy. Transgenders also ran a campaign against ruling party candidates, saying that despite the orders of the Supreme Court, the government did not take measures for their welfare. They voted for PTI candidates.

Violations of the election code remained unchecked as some voters brought their stamped ballot papers with them from polling booths to show them to candidates.

The district coordination officer ordered an inquiry into the issue.

Candidates in several instances violated election code and spent lavishly on electioneering. A councilor candidate on average spent over Rs200,000 while those contesting for chairman and vice chairman reportedly spent over Rs1 million each. In four union councils, PML-N and PTI nominees spent Rs10 million each.

In UCs falling in the municipality, returning officers kept on changing presiding officers’ duty places upon the recommendation of PML-N parliamentarians.

In UC 140, three people were caught red handed for posing as election staff. They were identified as Farhad Gondal, Allauddin Gondal and Mohsin.

In UC No 12, polling for chairman and vice-chairman seats could not held because of unavailability of ballot papers.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2015