GUJRAT: Serious differences within the PML-N ranks and an aggressive campaign by the Chaudhrys of the PML-Q for the top slot of the Gujrat District Council chairman seem to have put the ruling party in a trouble.

Some potential candidates for the district council chief`s slot have started exerting pressure on the senior PML-N leadership to opt for a show of hands instead of secret ballot intheEnalphase ofthelocalgovernment (LG) elections through amendments to the relevant law.

Sources in the PML-N told Dawn MNA Hamza Shahbaz who deals with finalisation of the candidature for local polls across the province had reportedly assured the potential can-didates not only from Gujrat but also from other parts of Punjab of introducing some amendments to the LG laws for elections of chairman and mayors of district councils and municipalities through a show of hands.

They said the seniorleaders ofthe PML-N had already been weighing options for tackling the differences within the ranks; otherwise, the party candidates could face a defeat in the last phase which would not augur well for the party and the grouping could aggravate the rifts in the nextgeneralelection.

In Gujrat, there are at least four different groups, including those of the Nawabzada family, MPA Mian Tariq Dinga, Kotla group and MNA Jaafar Iqbal`s family, lobbying to win the PML-N ticket for the Gujrat district council chairman office and these differences have been the oneof the reasons, creating chances for the Chaudhrys of the PML-Q to pitch one of their family members in the race for the top slot.

The PML-Q leadership is striving hard for its revival in the local politics through winning the maximum supportoftheindependents andPTI members besides it is hopeful of getting some support from the disgruntied groups of the PML-N as reports are rife that whoever of the ruling party groups gets the PML-N ticket can face a revolt like situation from othergroupsintherace.

Sources in PML-N said the potential candidates of ruling party were so scared of the election through secret ballot that even one of the front runners from Gujrat was quoted as telling to his close aides that in case of the secret ballot he would better opt out ofthe raceratherthan goingforit.