CHUNIAN

After elections of union council chairmen and general councillors, the PML-N has been divided into two groups for the elections of Kasur mayor and District Council chairman.
A tussle has started between these groups for grabbing the top slot of chairman District Council. MNA Rana Hayat is lobbying for his son Sikandar Hayat whereas MNA Malik Rasheed is wooing the chairmen-elect to elect his brother Malik Ejaz.
One group with the candidate Rana Sikandar Hayat is being headed by PML-N MNAs Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, Rana Ishaq Khan, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal Khan and MPA Sheikh Alauddin. The other group with the candidate Malik Ejaz is being headed by MNAs Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Salman Hanif, Wasim Akhtar Sheikh, MPAs Malik Ahmad Saeed and Malik Ahmad Khan.
Talking to the media, chief of Sikandar Hayat group Saleem Farzand Bhatti said that in the LG elections of 125 UCs in Kasur district, the PML-N won 44 seats, independents 42, the PTI 34, the PPP two and the PML-Q one.
He said their group is working hard to keep the independents with them. They presented a total of 58 chairmen in front of media who announced their full support with the chairman candidate Sikandar Hayat. Sources claimed that PTI who has announced Sardar Ahmad Ayyaz Nakai as their candidate for district chairman slot with active support of Sardar Asif Nakai, Talib Nakai and Rao Shahid Qayyum will be a decisive force in the contest.
Bhatti said that the chairmen of NA 141, NA 142, NA 139 and NA 40 are with them. The situation has become more interesting as the independents are a key factor in the upcoming elections for the Kasur mayor. They are being attracted and motivated to vote by all the 3 groups. So for, the UC chairmen are chief guests of every political gathering. It is an established fact that all these independents would prefer to join the ruling party to get the maximum of development budget. It is yet not sure which fraction of N they could join as both the groups are claiming to have an edge in the number game.
Earlier, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal along with MNAs Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan and Ishaq Khan said that it was ironical that the opposite group who had been a part of PML-Q in earlier elections was claiming to be loyal with the PML-N. He pointed the statements which Malik Rasheed and his associates had gave against the party during the tenure of their affiliation with Q League.
He said those working as loyalists of the party should be made members of District Council on reserved seats for Kisan and labourers. However, he said, his group was strong, adding that the PML-N leaders will never forget their sacrifices for the party. On the other hand, MNA Malik Rasheed said, “Past is the past and we are more than sincere to the party. We have produced results and hence it is the right time to stand against the family politics. The family politics has brought the country to grave crisis.”
He also announced his brother as the mayor candidate for Kasur. Meanwhile, the party activists are disturbed on the rift between the members of the same political party and anxiously waiting for the elections.