Election 2024: NA 143 Chichawatni expected candidates and their parties

Written by: Arshad Farooq Butt

National Assembly Constituency NA 143 from Chichawatni used to be NA 149 in Election 2018. The boundaries of this constituency for the seat of the National Assembly are as follows.

1. The following areas of Chichawatni Tehsil:

• Municipal Committee Chichawatani (Charge No. 8 and 9)
• Chichawatni Legislature Constituency
• Kasowal Kanngu Constituency
• Iqbal Nagar Constituency
• Shahkot Legislature Constituency
• Okanwala Legislative Constituency

2. The following Patwar Circles of Ghaziabad Legislature Constituency:

• Chuck No. 169 nine l
• Chuck No. 171 nine l
• Chuck No. 21 Eleven L
• Chuck No. 24 Eleven L
• Chuck No. 28 eleven l
• Chuck No. 31 Eleven L

In NA-143, Pakistan Muslim League-N, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Istehkam e Pakistan Party, Peoples Party and Jamaat-e-Islami will fight in the election field with their candidates. However, the final competition will be between three political parties including Pakistan Muslim League-N, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and the Istehkam e Pakistan Party.

Three important leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, former MNA Chaudhry Tufail Jutt, former MNA Chaudhry Munir Azhar and former MNA Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal are present in this constituency. However, after Chaudhry Munir Azhar handed over the succession to Chaudhry Shahid Munir, his interest has been limited to the provincial constituency PP 204 (formerly PP 202). Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal is engaged in NA 142 (formerly NA 148) instead of this constituency. In this situation, if there is no issue of seat adjustment from the Istehkam e Pakistan Party, the way for Chaudhry Tufail Jutt to get the PMLN ticket is clear.

Istehkam e Pakistan Party’s main leader Malik Nauman Langriyal is the only candidate from his party in this constituency. Malik Nauman Langriyal has been a former MNA, former MPA and a provincial minister. The deviant members of PTI involved in bringing down the PTI government and making Hamza Shehbaz the Chief Minister were led by Malik Nauman Langriyal. Unlike other candidates of this constituency, he continues to participate in various talk shows and is used to being in the news. If he contests the election, the vote of Pakistan Muslim League-N will be divided, which may benefit the third candidate.

Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Rai Murtaza Iqbal is currently in hiding and is waiting for the right time to enter the election field. Rumors are hot in the constituency due to the absence of the Rai brothers, but so far the Rai brothers intend to contest the election on the Tehreek-e-Insaf side.

Due to social media and young voters, like other constituencies, there has been an increase in ideological vote in NA-143 Chichawatni (Sahiwal-III). There are a large number of ideological voters of Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, but the Istehkam e Pakistan Party is still in its infancy. How far his narrative and ideas attract workers will be decided in the election.

This is the reason why the Roy brothers want to enter the fray with this ideological vote. The time for his joining to the Istehkam e Pakistan Party has now passed.

The hidden leaders of PTI are being baited by Establishment. But the pigeons that come out to feed on the grain are caught. A lack of confidence building could postpone the February 2024 election indefinitely.