RAHIMYARKHAN: The situation in Rahim Yar Khan for local elections is different from other districts especially for the contest of the district council seats for which the PPP is quite active.

The PPP, having two legislators in the National Assembly from Rahim Yar Khan, has fielded 503 candidates, whereas the PML-N has 459 candidates and the PTI just167.Thereis ahuge presence of independent candidates (1,352)who are in the run.

A total of 3,008 candidates are in the race for union council elections scheduled to be held on Dec 5. There are 194 wards in 12 municipal committees and 867 candidates are participating; PML-N has 122 candidates, PTI (96) and PPP (75).

The ruling party is on top for the elections in the 50 wards of municipal committees and the PTI comes next to it. For the district council elections, six nazims and naib nazims had been elected unopposed.

Five of them are from the PPPand one from the PML-N.

Seventy-nine councillors also were elected unopposed.

For the slots of chairman and naib chairman of union councils, 499 candidates are contesting while 2,509 candidates are in the race for councillors.

The PPP seems more interested in the elections of union councils while the PML-N is focusing on the municipal committees in four tehsils but its actual interest is to grab the seat of chairman.

The PML-N is divided into two groups. The group of MNA from a constituency has awarded ticketsto his `blue-eyed` people for the seats of municipal committee who have no role in the party. The group of former National Assembly deputy speaker is supporting those candidates who worked for the organisation in the last 20 years.

The MNA-led group is opposing PML-N district president Khalid Shaheen who is a candidate for the slot of councillor from ward 43 of municipal committee and MC chairman. The MNA wants his younger brother as chairman.

Similarly, PTI district presidentRana Raheel is supporting the workers` group of the party despite his suspension from the central leadership and he constituted a district organising committee for issuing the tickets in October.

There are allegations by the PPP and PTI that the district returning officer is favouring the ruling party.

On Monday, many candidates gathered outside the ECP office to register their protest on the arrival of a three-member committee of Election Commission which lool