The political campaign by political parties- Pakistan Muslim League N (PMLN) and Pakistan Peoples Party are in full swing, with its prominent leaders, including Nawaz Sharif, Bilawl Bhutto Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif, and Marriyum Nawaz, making rounds across various cities. The party’s manifesto has been unveiled, stirring expectations for substantial public turnout at their rallies. Political observers had previously anticipated a strong prospect for PMLN to secure governmental power at both the federal level and in Punjab, which seems to be supported by a survey conducted by the Institute of Public Opinion and Research. The survey reports that 51% of participants believe Nawaz Sharif is the favored candidate to lead the country, with only 36% backing the PTI to form a government.
The query posed in the survey about which leader could navigate Pakistan through its current socio-economic turmoil showed a majority leaning towards Nawaz Sharif, acknowledging his experience as a three-time Prime Minister. Media sources, including talk shows, newspapers, and TV channels, have noted an upsurge in PMLN’s popularity since the commencement of their grassroots political activities.
Conversely, the influence of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s political narrative appears to be limited regarding PMLN’s standing, as reflected in the 2018 election results where PPP acquired a marginal number of seats in the National and Punjab Provincial Assemblies. Nonetheless, there is an expectation of increased support for PPP in Punjab, potentially due to Bilawal’s narrative and also because of the unique electoral situation facing PTI, which has not received its usual party symbol for the upcoming elections. This has led to several PTI candidates contesting the elections under different symbols, and this displacement might cause a shift in the PTI vote bank towards PPP.
The PPP leadership perceives this moment as an opportunity to reclaim their traditional supporters who had previously shifted allegiance to PTI. Whether this realignment of voters will significantly influence the election outcome in PPP’s favor remains an area of speculation and debate among political circles.
