2nd phase LG polls
Second round of LG elections in the province scheduled for March 31
JAVED KHAN
PESHAWAR
A total of 861 candidates are in the run for 65 seats of the tehsil/City councils of 18 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the second round of Local Government (LG) elections scheduled for March 31.
It is to note here that the first phase of local government elections was held in 17 districts of the province on Dec 19, 2021.
According to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in two tehsils of tribal district Orakzai 33 candidates are contesting local body elections for the slot of mayor and chairman, for the three tehsils councils of district Kurram 45 candidates nominations have been accepted, 93 candidates contesting elections for six tehsils councils of North and South Waziristan districts, 96 candidates nominations papers cleared for the seven tehsils of district Swat, 54 candidates running for five tehsils councils seats of district Shangla, 35 candidates for three tehsils councils slots of district Malakand, 57 candidates contesting elections for six tehsils of Dir Upper, 89 candidates in the field for seven tehsils of district Dir Lower.
Similarly, for the four tehsil councils of Chitral Lower and Upper 36 candidates contesting local body elections, 73 in run for four tehsil councils of district Abbottabad, 84 for five tehsils of district Mansehra, 19 candidates fielded themselves for two tehsil councils of district Battagram, 32 candidates vying for three tehsil councils of district Torghar, a total 76 candidates of different political parties and independent in run for six tehsil councils of districts Kphistan Upper and Lower, and 36 candidates contesting elections for two tehsils councils of Kolai Palas district of the province.
The ECP has declared valid the nomination papers of 861 candidates running for tehsil chairman or mayorship in 18 districts of KP.
As per the schedule of the ECP, the polling process for the second round of local government election in the province will be held on March 31.
The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers by the candidates is March 3. The returning officers will allot symbols on March 4.
Besides, 3,484 female candidates are running for woman councilor’s seats, 6,870 candidates flexing their muscles for peasant councilors, 5622 for youth councilors and 113 for Non-Muslim councilor’s slots in 18 districts of the province.
The ECP has rejected the nomination papers of 12 candidates running for tehsil or mayor elections, 449 papers rejected in the category of general seats, 139 papers rejected for the slot of women seats, 180 candidates papers rejected for peasant workers, 419 candidates papers declared invalid for the slot of youth seats, and 11 nomination papers of Non-Muslim were rejected for the minority seats.
Four districts of the erstwhile tribal areas including Kurram, Orakzai, North and South Waziristan will go for LG polls for the first time.
According to a notification issued by the ECP, 18 DROs, 253 ROs and 318 DROs were named for the city and tehsil councils, and village and neighborhood councils.
It is pertinent to mention here that following the mismanagement and other issues of law and order, the ECP has taken the decision of the army’s deployment along with police for the second phase of LG polls in the province.
