MARDAN - A tough and interesting competition is expected between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Mujahid Khan, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) candidate Maulana Attaur Rehman and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate former federal minister Nawabzada Khawaja Muhammad Khan in NA-20 Mardan-I.
The constituency has 430,538 registered voters including 181,551 female voters, while 353 polling stations including 107 male, 98 female and 148 combined have been established in the constituency.
The constituency was formerly known as NA-11 Mardan-III from 1977 to 2018. The name was changed to NA-20 Mardan-I after the delimitation process in 2018. In the 2002 elections, Maulana Attaur Rehman secured 51,918 votes and won this seat.
ANP candidate Habibullah Khan secured 14,462 votes and PTI candidate Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan secured 5,923 votes. In the 2009 elections, Khanzada Khan of PPP secured 20,896 and won this seat while Maulana Tajul Ameen Jabal of JUI-F secured 18,155 votes.
In the 2013 elections, Mujahid Khan of PTI secured 38,233 votes and won this seat. PPP candidate Khanzada Khan secured 26,928 votes, JUI-F candidate Imadullah Yousafza got 26,623 votes, JI candidate Gul Nawaz Khan who has now joined ANP got 15,536 votes and ANP candidate Inayat Khan secured 11,506 votes.
However, a tough and interesting contest is expected between PTI candidate Mujahid Khan and PPP candidate Nawabzada Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti, MMA candidate Maulana Attaur Rehman and ANP candidate Gul Nawaz Khan who quit JI and joined ANP while Akhtar Nawaz is contesting the elections on PML-N ticket.
The PTI workers claimed that majority of the new registered voters in the constituency will cast their votes in favour of PTI candidate.
While the PPP, MMA and ANP workers and supporters claimed that PTI has failed to fulfil their promises in the last five years and due to this reason the voters will use their votes in favour of their party candidates. However, political analysts are of the view that a tough contest is expected on this seat between PTI, PPP, MMA and ANP.
This National Assembly constituency has three provincial assembly constituencies: PK-48, PK-49 and PK-50. In PK-48 Mardan-I, total registered voters are 151,729 including 63,248 female voters, while the total polling stations are 123 including 25 male, 24 female and 74 combined.
Seven candidates are contesting the elections on this seat, however, a tough contest is expected between PTI candidate Malak Shuakat, MMA candidate Hafiz Akhtar Ali, ANP candidate Farooq Akram Khan and PPP candidate Jawad Khan Baizai while Sikandar Hayat is contesting elections on PML-N ticket and Muhammad Khatab Bacha and Shahabullah are contesting as independent candidates.
ANP candidate Gohar Bacha won elections on this seat in the 2013 elections. However, the party did not allot him ticket for 2013 elections. In PK-49-Mardan-II, total registered voters are 166,964, including 70,906 female voters. The constituency has about 135 polling stations - 38 male, 36 female and 61 combined.
Eleven candidates are contesting elections on this seat. However, a tough contest is expected between PTI candidate Tufail Anjum, MMA candidate Ibrahim Biland, ANP candidate Shah Roh Aman, PPP candidate Khasta Begum, widow of PPP leader late Abdul Akbar Khan while Arshad Hussain is contesting elections on MQM ticket and Tariq Saleem on PML-N ticket, while Muhammad Zahir, Abdul Manan, Zameer Gul, Javeed Khan and Adnan Khan are contesting elections as independent candidates.
However, PTI candidate Toufail Anjum succeeded on this seat in the 2013 elections. In PK-50 Mardan-III, the number of total registered voters is 158,988 including 66,633 female voters. The constituency has 133 polling stations including 51 for men, 46 for women and 36 combined.
Ten candidates are contesting elections on this seat. However, a tough contest is expected between PTI candidate former provincial minister Muhammad Atif Khan, PPP candidate Khawaja Muhammad Khan Hoti, MMA candidate Tajul Ameen Jabal and ANP candidate Haroon Khan while Malak Ayaz Khan of PML-N and Yousaf Zaman, Muhammad Zahid, Abdus Samad, Syed Rahat Ali Shah and Azam Khan are contesting elections as independent candidates. However, in the 2013 elections, PTI candidate Atif Khan won this seat.