PESHAWAR: There will be one-to-one contest between the candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Inaf and Jamiat Ulmai-Islam-F in the by-election scheduled to be held today (Wednesday) to fill the vacant seat of the Senate.

The seat fell vacant after the death of ANP Senator Azam Khan Hoti on April 15.

The PTI candidate Azam Swati has the support of two coalition partners, Jamaat-i-Islami and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad, while the opposition parties to support the JUI-F candidate Haji Ghulam Ali.

Of the total 124 members of the house, 68 are representing the treasury benches and 56 the opposition benches.

The polling will commence at 9am and continue till 4pm in the provincial assembly building, which has been declared as the polling station by the election commission.

Provincial election commissioner Talib Hussain will perform as returning officer while the commission`s director Mohammad Farid and deputy director Khushal Zada will be polling officers.

Meanwhile, Haji Ghulam Ali of JUI-F submitted an application with the election commission requesting transparent and fair elections, as he alleged that massive irregularities were witnessed in the previous senate election.

In his application, the JUI candidate claimed that 60 per cent of the members had leaked secrecy of the ballot as they had taken out the blank ballot papers which were later filled in at the chief minister`s house and polled by other members of the house.

He requested the election commission to establish election booth at such a place where no one could see the members while putting stamp on the ballots.