GUJRAT: The Nawabzada and Kotla families of the PML-N have started lobbying for the slot of district council chairman and have launched campaigns with independents as well as local party lawmakers to gather support.

The PML-N had bagged 59 seats followed by 22 by independents in the district council whereas the PML-Q and the Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf 19 and 15, respectively, in the local government elections held on Oct 31.

Although schedule for the final phase of election on reserved seats as well as of chairmen and vice chairmen of the district council,municipal committees and corporations was yet to be issued by the election commission, potential candidates launched campaigns within party ranks.

The Nawabzada family ruled the district council from 1947 to 1983. The Chaudhrys of the PML-Q remained dominant in the last three decades, starting with Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi winning the district council chairman slot in 1983 and continuing to win till the 2005 local elections.

The Nawabzada family, which was part of the PML-N, and the Chaudhrys have remained traditional rivals in the local government politics as the Nawabzadas have contested all local elections against the Shujaat group. Howeverthis time, the Nawabzadas will have to face a major challenge from none other than their own party ranks as the Kotla group of PML-N MNA Abid Raza has emerged as a strong contender.

Nawabzada Tahirul Mulk, a nephew of MNA Nawabzada Mazhar Ali Khan and PPP stalwart Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gull and has been elected as chairman of Ajnala Union Council with a thumping majority, is said to be a frontrunner in the race for district council`s chairman.

On the other hand, Tanveer Raza, a brother of MNA Abid Raza and MPA Shabeer Ahmed, has also emerged as a strong candidate for the slot, as both lawmaker brothers have started contactingindependents for support.

MPA Shabeer told Dawn the party had not given a go-ahead to anyone, as whoever wished to be a contender for the district slot should first prove his majority within the party. Almost half of the independents had assured him of extending suppor t to his brother, adding that at least 24 chairmen of union councils had been elected on the PML-N symbol from their constituency NA-107, which was a big number as compared to the elected chairmen from the remaining National Assembly constituencies in the district.

He also said he would announce formal support of independents for his group at a news conference in a few days.However, sources said the Kotla group might face strong opposition from other party lawmakers, especially MPA Hanif Awan and Mian Tariq groups.

Nawabzada Tahir said the senior party leadership had yet to decide a nominee for the district slot, however he was in contact with other lawmakers and local party groups here. Three of the four independents elected from his family`s constituency NA-104 had joined his group and the fourth was likely to join in a few days, he added.

Interestingly, both Nawabzada and Kotla groups belonged to the Gujjar clan as did all three MNAs and four out of seven MPAs of the PML-N from Gujrat.