LAHORE   -  The two mainstream parties, PTI and the PML-N, are girdling up their loins to grab the Senate seats in Punjab after they became vacant due to disqualification of two senators.

The PML-N stakes in the Senate election are much high as the disqualified senators namely, Haroon Akhtar Khan and woman elected on reserved seat Saadia Abbasi belonged to this party. The PML-N which had raised its strength to 33 members in the upper house of 104 members after last Senate elections in March for 52 seats, still stands at the top with 30 seats. However, fears of losing a leading competitive position in the Senate may loom large if the original seats tally is not retrieved.

The Supreme Court had suspended the membership of the PML-N Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar after he failed to appear before the court despite repeated notices in the resources beyond income case. This deficit also goes with the PML-N. At the same time, Election Commission may also approach the apex court to decide fate of the parliamentary seat which cannot be left unrepresented for a long time. However the fears are not immediate given the current parliamentary strength of the parties, the Senate elections for another 52 seats in the year 2021, may also harm the PML-N’s top position. So in metaphorical terms, the PML-N fight for the three seats is as good as a stitch in time that will save it nine.

The PPP is at second position in the Senate with 20 seats. The PML-N, PPP, PkMPAP, ANP, JUI-F jointly commands majority with over 60 seats. The PTI’s strength at present stands at 15 senators and rest of the seats are with independents and other parties.

In the current seats tally after the July 25 polls, the odds appear heavy against the PML-N as such it will require to work very hard for making good the loss.

The PMP-N has fielded former senator Saud Majeed and former minister and sitting MPA Saira Afzal Tarar as candidates for the seats. The PTI has fielded Waleed Iqbal and Seemi Aizdi as candidates for upper house slots. The PML-N candidates are seasoned politicians however PTI has a edge over them in terms of number of votes in the Punjab Assembly and due to the support of coalition partners. Waleed Iqbal is grandson of Allama Muhammad Iqbal who has been awarded the Senate ticket after he was denied the promised NA-131 Lahore ticket that was awarded to Humayun Akhtar Khan, the elder brother of Haroon Akhtar, in the by-election. Seemi Aizdi is the sister of PTI senior leader Jahangir Tareen. Tareen was seen a real moving force in the party after the election for inclusion of the independently-elected persons in the PTI which proved helpful for his party to achieve the magical number for formation of government in Centre and the Punjab. His political clout has been admitted in national landscape and his campaigning for his sister is sure to pay the dividend. On victory, both the PTI candidates will start their debut in parliamentary politics.

In Punjab, the PTI has performed well from speaker’s election to the last one held for single seat of Senate vacated by Punjab Governor Ch Sarwar. The PTI fielded candidate for speaker office Ch Pervez Elahi won against the PML-N with the margin of 51 votes which however squeezed to 12 when Dr Waseem won senatorship.

For November 15 contest for two Senate seats from Punjab, both the parties are trying to secure seats by forming party committees, making contacts with friends and invoking old parliamentary affiliations.

The PTI is quite optimistic about carrying the palm on both seats while the PML-N is bracing to spring a surprise that has attained a possibility after the recent video leak which revealed dissatisfaction of the PTI coalition partner PML-Q with Punjab governor. Putting aside the question whether this leak was advertent or inadvertent, the grumble made during the discourse has exposed inside feelings of the coalition partners. Ch Pervez Elahi later covering up the embarrassment, told the media that if grievances are not addressed ‘fury (by the Parliamentarians) is vented through the secret ballot.’ In view of the political experts, the balance may tilt in favour of the rival candidates, in case words of speaker proved true in the Punjab Senate election and the PML-N is on the prowl to see that happening.