The PPP Punjab Executive committee has decided to convene the party meeting on May 13 to chalk out a comprehensive strategy for the upcoming local government election.
Well-placed sources in the PPP revealed that the meeting has been summoned on the instructions of party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, to formulate a strategy for local government polls, said Khawaja Rizwan Alam, Member Federal Council, Provincial Secretary Public relations.
As per sources the meeting would be chaired by Party Punjab President, Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan, and would take place at party's provincial secretariat at Faisal Town. In the meeting the party members would be taken into confidence over the issue of fielding of candidates in 36 districts of Punjab and the possibility of seat adjustments with other political parties, including the PML-N, sources said.
During the last two LG polls of 2001 and 2005, both the PPP and the PML-N experienced seat adjustments and alliances at Union Council (UC), Town and District levels in various cities of Punjab.
Both the parties had also fielded joint candidates at various town and district nazim slots to counter the Musharraf backed PML-Q, which enjoyed complete support of state machinery during the last two LG polls. However, the chances of seat adjustments between the two parties seem to be diminishing considerably as PML-Q, the 'common rival' of both is already in dire straits now and majority of its supporters have joined the PML-N.
PPP stalwarts believe that it is unlikely that both the PPP and the PML-N, despite being in coalition in Punjab would successfully make seat adjustments in the LG polls, as latter is in a position to win the LG polls in most of the districts of the province, particularly those falling in central Punjab even without seeking the PPP's support.
However, in some cities, including Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, the cities where Chaudhry's brothers could offer resistance to both the PPP and the PML-N, the chances of seat adjustments between both the parties couldn't ruled out, say party leaders.
Similarly, in several cities of Southern Punjab, including Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Muzaffargarh, where PPP members believe in making seat adjustments with the PML-N, wouldn't be the best options as the party could comfortably win after their main rival of the past, PML-Q is now vanishing from the political scene.
Nevertheless, the option of adjustments with local influential political groups of these areas, which used to support PML-Q in the past, is open to both the parties. A senior PPP leader, on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the party would discuss the issue of LG polls and all other options associated with the elections. Over the issue of seat adjustment and alliance with the PML-N, he said it would be premature to say anything in this regard under the current circumstances, as both the parties managed to dent their old rival PML-Q in the last general elections.
Moreover, he said that the meeting would also discuss the issue of party organisation in various districts of Punjab as party leadership wants to complete the campaign before the LG elections to obtain better results this time.