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The Senate elections are just days away and all political parties have geared up campaigning for the polls. The elections are seen with keen interest as it could devise further course of action for the government and even the opposition There will be polling, however, in Punjab since all candidates have been elected unopposed after a ‘successful strategy’.
This has raised several questions about whether there were any settlements prior to the polls. The PML-N, which is the most vocal critic of the PTI, has already grabbed five seats in Punjab. Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry has already admitted that the PML-N held “positive talks” with the government on Senate elections but remains confined to political gains. Another question is whether the polls are necessary if the party can rather pick and nominate their candidates.
With Punjab settled, the focus has shifted to Sindh where the PTI and its allies are eyeing five of the eleven Senate seats. It remains to be seen if the three-party alliance will be able to clinch victory against the ruling PPP amid fears of horse-trading. The PPP has even reached out to the MQM-P which can play a decisive role and place the fragile coalition at stake. The PTI is now the largest opposition party in Sindh and has accused the PTI of indulging in horse-trading and approaching opposition lawmakers and field candidates disproportionate to its strength.
The PPP can easily win six seats based on its numeric strength but the decision to contest on all seats has raised questions of horse-trading. The PPP and PML-N have stated that there is rift with the PTI over the allocation of Senate seats and there are disgruntled members who are ready to act on their own instead of following party directives. It is now evident that the PPP is seeking to exploit the situation in its favour.
The mains focus is now on the Supreme Court which is set to issue its opinion on holding the polls through open voting. If the top court recommends holding the polls then it could change the course of action as all strategies and seat adjustment will be set aside. If the opposition wins a seat disproportionate to its electoral count, it will leave doubts on the transparency of the process. This will vindicate the prime minister’s stance on horse-trading and raise calls for reforms.
