Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf crushed the PML-N in Sunday’s by-polls held across Punjab on 20 seats and won an overarching 15 seats, while PMLN won 5 and 1 seat was won by an independent candidate.
The results of the by-polls have turned tables and now opened ways for the PTI to reclaim the Punjab throne on July 22, when, per the Lahore High Court decision, re-election for CM Punjab is to take.
Party position
Based on the unofficial results of by-polls, the party’s position in the 371-member house is as follows:
- PTI 178
- PMLN 167
- PMLQ 10
- PPP 7
- PRHP 1
- IND 6
Total = 369
Two seats are currently vacant in the house after two PML-N MPs resigned days before the by-polls. Those two seats may add to the tally of any party.
Who will be CM?
To win the election of the CM in the Punjab assembly, a candidate has to secure at least 186 votes in the 371-member strong house.
However, if candidates fail to get 186 votes in the first round of voting, a simple majority will be enough to clinch the CM slot in the second round per Article 130(4) of the Constitution.
In the light of the above results, the PTI and the PML-Q (188) currently enjoy a confident lead of 7 seats against the PML-N and its supporting parties and independents, whose numbers add up to only 181. By-polls on the two vacant seats would also add to any side but will not make a significant difference in challenging the throne.
ECP de-seats 25 dissident PTI members
The twenty seats were part of the Twenty-five-seat set of dissident lawmakers who had voted for Hamza Shehbaz against party directions in the election for Punjab’s chief minister on April 16.
The Twenty-five members were de-seated by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on May 19 following petitions filed by Chaudhry Pervez Elahi – who was PTI’s candidate against Hamza Shehbaz.
Then on May 27, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the ECP to notify PTI’s lawmakers on five reserved seats.
