KHANEWAL, Dec 17: The district will witness tough fights between the familiar faces in National Assembly (NA) constituencies of 156 and 158 in the Jan 8 elections where all major players are in the run with changed teams and captains this time. In the 2002 elections, Fakhr Imam was a Pakistan Muslim League-Q candidate from NA-156 while his rival Raza Hayat Hiraj a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate. Now, they have changed their parties for the upcoming polls fight.

From NA-158, Pir Aslam Bodla was a PPP candidate in the 2002 elections while Mr Imam faced him as a PML-Q nominee while Nawab Farhatullah was a PML-N aspirant. This time, Mr Bodla is a PML-Q man while Mr Farhatullah is a PPP nominee.

In NA-156, Mr Imam and Mr Hiraj are front row runners while new entrants, Syed Khawar Shah from the PML-N and Ajmal Qadri from the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) and Abdul Khaliq Rehmani from the defunct Sipah-i-Sahaba cannot be ignored as Mr Khawar has been elected from a provincial constituency in the 1990s while Mr Qadri and Mr Rehmani will bag Deoband votes.

The main clans which affect the balance of power in the urban areas are: Malik, Arain, Rajput, Sheikh and Bhutta while in the rural areas Tarragar, Sial, Sargana, Sadhal, Daduana, Syed, Mohana, Gardezi, Hiraj, Naich, Thaheem, Punian and Magsi. Mr Khawar is a close relative to Mr Imam. Due to separation of Mr Khawar from Mr Imam, the divided Syed family will affect the vote bank of Mr Imam. Leading figures from Naich, Thaheem, Tarragar, Sargana, Punian, Gardezi, Malik, Bhutta and Magsi clans favour Mr Imam while Mr Hiraj enjoys the support of Sial, Sidhal, Daduana, Mohana, Rajput, Arain and Sheikh. Mr Khawar enjoys the support of Dadauana and Tarragar families. If the Syed family stands divided, so are the Hirajs as an affective group from the Hiraj family, led by former Kabirwala tehsil nazim Zafar Ahmad Hiraj, has announced supporting Mr Imam.

Besides clans, sect factor also influences the balance of power in the constituency. The area is dominated by Deoband and Shia hardliners. Shia leaders will support Mr Khawar while Deoband voters seem supporting Mr Qadri and Mr Rehmani, which otherwise could have been polled to Mr Hiraj. Sources say Mr Imam brought Mr Qadri from Lahore to Kabirwala for elections just to stop the flow of Sipah-i-Sahaba voters towards Mr Hiraj.

Under NA-156, fall two provincial constituencies — PP-212 and PP-213. In PP-212, there will be a close fight between former MPA Pir Mukhtar Shah of the PPP and Jafar Sargana from the PML-Q while Syed Ali Akbar Shah from the PML-N holds the support of considerable voters in the area. In PP-213, there will also be a tough battle between former Punjab minister Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi (PMLQ) and Abbas Zafar Hiraj (PPP).

From NA-157, which mainly consists of the Khanewal city and its suburbs, the frontline contenders are: Hamid Yar Hiraj from the PMLQ, Muhammad Khan Daha from the PML-N and Syed Faisal Imam from the PPP.

Here the PML-N candidate can give a tough time to Mr Hiraj if Mr Imam withdraws in favour of Mr Daha. Mr Hiraj is the brother to Khanewal District Nazim Sardar Ahmad Yar Hiraj, so enjoys the support of local body resources.

Under NA-157 fall PP-214 and PP-215. From PP-214, PPP candidate is Nishat Ahmed Daha and PMLQ candidate is Imran Pervaiz Dhool. Sources say Mr Nishat of the PPP will support PMLN’s Mr Muhammad Daha in NA-157. In PP-215, there will be a close contest between Muhammad Yar Hiraj from the PML-Q and Syed Hasnain Shah from the PML-N.

In NA-158, which is in Mianchannu tehsil, Pir Aslam Bodla is PML-Q’s candidate, Barrister Haidar Zaman Qureshi is of the PPP while the PML-N has fielded Nawab Farhatullah Khan. If a seat adjustment is done between the PPP and the PML-N, Mr Qureshi can win theseat with a big margin. Under the NA constituency, fall PP-216 and PP-217. In PP-216, main fighters are: Shahzad Khakwani (PML-N), Rana Babar Hussain, alias Babar Japani, (PPP), and Pir Zahoor Qureshi (PMLQ) while in PP-217 the battle will be fought between Pir Mushtaq Shah Khagga (PPP) and Aamir Hayat Hiraj (PMLQ).

The areas of NA-159 include union councils of Jahanian and Khanewal tehsil. Under NA-159, constituencies of PP-218 and PP-219 fall.

From NA-159, main fighters are: Iftikhar Nazir Chaudhry from the PPP and Malik Ghulam Murtaza Maitla from the PMLQ. But this constituency holds importance because of the candidates from the provincial constituency. The PPP candidate from NA-159 seems in good position because PPP Punjab President Shah Mahmood Qureshi is contesting from PP-219. Chaudhry Karam Dad Wahla, former Jahanian tehsil nazim, will face Mr Qureshi.

In PP-218, the PML-Q has fielded former MPA Razzaq Niazi while PPP candidate is Jamil Shah who joined the two months ago leaving the PML-N. Mr Shah seems in good position.