LAHORE: Polling has started for the by elections on 20 seats of the Punjab Assembly. 175 candidates of different parties are contesting, but the observers are seeing the real competition between the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on all the seats.
The polling process in 14 districts of Punjab will continue uninterrupted till 5 pm. Police, Rangers and Army have been hired to maintain law and order situation in the constituencies.
Around 50,000 police personnel are performing duty in the by-elections. Police personnel are deployed at the polling stations while Punjab Rangers will patrol the constituencies and the Army will be on standby.
Due to the current political situation, the rate of voting in the by elections is expected to be higher than the by-elections held in the past. According to observers, the results of today’s polling will not only affect the politics of Punjab but also at the level of Waqaq. Will leave profound effects.
According to the Election Commission, the total number of polling stations in the 20 constituencies of the provincial assembly is 3,131, including 676 highly sensitive, 1194 sensitive and 1271 normal polling stations.
CCTV cameras have also been installed at the most sensitive polling stations. A contingent of police and rangers are on duty at sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations. While provision of all basic facilities at the polling stations has been ensured by the District Returning Officers.
In the by elections held on twenty seats, the total number of voters is 45 lakh 79 thousand eight hundred and ninety eight while 175 candidates are contesting.
It should be noted that these by elections are being held on the seats vacated by the de-seating of 20 defected members of Tehreek-e-Insaf. Four of these seats are in Lahore, while four seats are in Rawalpindi, Khushab, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, and Multan. , Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lodhran, Jhang, Bhakkar and other 16 constituencies are also included.
Candidates of Tehreek-e-Insaf and Muslim League-N and Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan are competing in all the constituencies, but a tight contest is expected between PTI and Muslim League-N.
