As many as 158 candidates including three women of different political parties and independents are in the run for the forthcoming by-elections on October 14 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said a spokesman for ECP KP here Tuesday.
Two female candidates have filed papers for NA 35 Bannu and one for PK-78 Peshawar seats. The by-elections will be held on NA-35 Bannu, and two provincial assembly seats each in Swat, Naushehra and D I Khan districts and one each in Mardan, Peshawar and Swabi districts.
The maximum number of nomination papers 27 have been filed for PK-53 Mardan followed by 23 in PK-3 Swat-II, 19 in PK-78, 17 in PK-7 Swat-VI, 15 in PK-99 D I Khan, 14 each in PK-44 Swabi, and NA-35 Bannu, 12 in PK-61 Naushehra-I, 09 in PK-97 D I Khan-III, and 08 in PK-64 Naushehra-IV.
The seats have been vacated by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Ali Ameen Gandapur, Dr Amjad Ali, Dr Haider Ali and Ameer Haider Khan Hoti. Elections on two PA seats PK-78 Peshawar and PK-99 D I Khan were postponed due to the assassination of contesting candidates Haroon Bilour and Ikramullah Khan Gandapur in suicide blasts.
According to statistical data provided by the ECP, the total number of registered voters for the by-elections in KP is 2029963 including 1151489 male and 878474 female voters. A total of 1555 polling stations have been setup including 619 male, 536 female and 400 combined polling stations.
The electoral temperature was surging with each passing day as the candidates have geared up electioneering campaign for the by-elections.
The lone NA seat where by-election would be held has been vacated by PTI chairman Imran Khan in Bannu (NA-35). The constituency considered to be the stronghold of JUI-F was won by PTI on July 25 with nearly 7000 votes.
Both the JUI-F chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Akram Khan Durrani have refrained from participating in the by-election on NA-35 and instead fielded a comparatively low profile candidate Zahid Khan Durrani, the son of Akram Khan Durrani. Both on are record having said that they don't want to contest on a seat left over by Imran Khan.
For October 14, NA 35 to witness close contest between MMA's Zahid Khan Durrani and Maulana Naseem Ali Shah of PTI. Keeping in view ground realities Akram Khan Durrani possesses a considerable personal vote bank in the constituency. The PTI seems to be divided in the constituency as Imran Khan changed the candidate in the constituency in the by-election at the eleventh hour.
For October 14 ANP has fielded Samar Bilour, the widow of Haroon Bilour on PK-78 by-elections against Muhammad Irfan of PTI.
On PK-99 (D I Khan) PTI has fielded Sardar Aghaz Gandapore, son of slain Ikramullah Khan Gandapore against the JUI-F candidate.
The family of slain Gandapore has won this seat in the past several times. Israrullah Khan Gandapore was eliminated in a suicide blast in 2013 general election while his younger brother Ikramullah Gandapore was assassinated in 2018 general elections. It is to be mention here that Inayatullah Khan Gandapore, father of the two slain Gandapores also served as chief minister of the province during senior Bhutto regime.