Pakistan People's Party has outnumbered its other opponents in the election arena by fielding maximum number of candidates on National Assembly seats for January 8 elections in Balochistan and NWFP, revealed Election Commission of Pakistan.
The final list of candidates put on EC website showed that PPP has fielded its candidates on 29 constituencies of the total 35 National Assembly seats in the NWFP province, followed by Pakistan Muslim League (N) 25 and Pakistan Muslim League (Q) 21 contestants.
Similarly, the PPP also surpassed other political parties in NWFP by fielding candidates on almost all the seats. As many as 13 candidates have been fielded by the PPP of total 14 National Assembly seats in Balochistan. PML (Q) has fielded 12 candidates in Balochistan while only 7 PML-N candidates are contesting for NA seats in Balochistan. However, none of the political party has fielded a candidate on any of the twelve seats for National Assembly in the tribal areas.
The list provided by the PPP and PML-Q of its candidates in the Punjab and Sindh also showed that the former has also fielded more candidates in the two above referred province. The list shows that PPP has fielded candidates on 144 National Assembly seats in Punjab of total 148 while 137 candidates are contesting in the province.
Moreover, in Sindh, the PPP has fielded candidates on all the 61 seats for National Assembly PML (Q) fielded candidates only in 24 constituencies for NA in Sindh province.
The EC said that after the withdrawal of candidature, the polls would be held among 2252 contestants for 272 National Assembly seats, and 5083 candidates for 577 seats of four provinces. The PPP has fielded 144 candidates on 148 seats of National Assembly from Punjab while Pakistan Muslim League-Q fielded 137 candidates from Punjab for National Assembly. Despite many attempts the information could not be got that how many candidates have been fielded by the PML-N for the National Assembly.
PPP has fielded candidates on 30 National Assembly's constituencies from NWFP of the total 35 while Muslim League-Q fielded candidates on 18 constituencies. Pakistan Muslim League has fielded candidates on 24 constituencies in Sindh of 61 while PPP candidates are contesting from all the seats of National Assembly from the province. PML-Q has fielded 11 candidates from Balochistan.
In all, the PPP candidates are contesting elections on general seats for NA in 247 constituencies of 272 house while PML (Q) candidates are contesting for around 194 seats.
It could not be ascertained that how many candidates the PML (N) has fielded in two provinces, Punjab and Sindh, despite many phone calls but according to the final list of candidates for NA from NWFP and Punjab, the PML-N fielded 32 candidates for NA.
The EC said that total 1003 candidates are contesting on 148 seats of National Assembly from Punjab, 627 candidates on 61 NA seats from Sindh, 262 candidates on 35 seats from NWFP and 143 candidates on 14 seats of NA from Balochistan. Total 183 candidates are contesting from FATA for 12 National Assembly seats.
For the provincial assemblies, the contest will be amongst 2311 candidates of all participating political parties for 297 seats of Provincial Assembly while 1468 candidates will face each other in Sindh for 130 provincial assembly seats.