Islamabad: The ruling PTI, which was wounded in the first phase of the local bodies election held in December 2021, surprised everyone in the second phase of the local bodies elections held on 65 seats in 18 districts across the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, as it outclassed all parties and took a clear lead in the province.
According to early results of 50 tehsil councils that were available by late Thursday night, PTI appeared to be leading on a number of seats as 22 of its candidates were all set to win the slots of mayor and chairman of the city and tehsil councils.
According to unofficial results, the winner of the first phase JUIF and Jamat Islami candidates were leading in seven and six tehsils, respectively.
PM congratulates CM and team
Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan and his team for their overwhelming success in the second phase of the LB elections.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the people of KP emphatically rejected the traitors who sold out to foreign masters.
Congratulations to CM @IMMahmoodKhan & our PTI team for their overwhelming success in Phase 2 of KP LG polls. Ppl of KP have emphatically rejected the traitors who sold out to foreign masters. This is an early warning to all traitors of what awaits them in their constituencies.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 1, 2022
Polling in 2nd phase
Polling started at 8 am on Thursday, continuing till 5 pm without break.
A total of 28,020 candidates were in the run for different categories in the polls held in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Kurram, Orakzai, and North and South Waziristan districts.
The local bodies also took place for the first time in formerly tribal districts of Kurram, Orakzai, North and South Waziristan.
First phase of local bodies elections
The first phase of the LB elections was held in December last year, in which JUIF had taken lead against the ruling PTI candidates in major districts and secured more seats, including winning the crucial mayorship of provincial capital Peshawar.
JUIF had emerged as a leading party with 23 seats of tehsil chairpersons and three mayoral seats. However, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s ruling party PTI had stood second with only one mayoral seat and 18 seats of tehsil chairpersons.