Voting for the Local Bodies elections in 274 union councils of Lahore will take place on October 31. The ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, is expected to face a contest from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the city. According to the available information, the ruling party has fielded its panels in 263 union councils and the Insaf has its candidates in 266.
The ruling party has left the union councils in PP-159, PP-161 and PP-139 open because of a strong completion for ticket within the party. Already, the strongest candidate for the office of Lord Mayor Lahore Khawaja Ahmed Hassaan of the ruling party has already been elected unopposed from the UC-107.
The Provincial Election Commission data reveals that two former members of the Punjab Assembly are also running for the elections while Arif Hameed Butt, reportedly a cousin of the prime minister, is also a candidate for the office of the union council chairmanship. The ruling party has also struck a seat adjustment with the Jamaat-e-Islami on a few seats though, interestingly, the Insaf too has made a similar arrangement with the Jamaat in five union councils in the city.