Charsadda: The voting process in Charsadda Constituency NA-24 is peacefully progressing. An intense rush of enthusiasm is witnessed amongst the people as they chant slogans for the candidates they support.
The arena is decorated in NA-24 of the Charsadda district for the by-elections today. Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf, Sparlay Ghorzang, Leader Mazdoor Kisan Party, Mujib ur Rehman, Advocate Jamaat e Islami, and Aimal Wali Khan, Provincial President Awami National Party, are the candidates for the seat.
The competition is tough as a sensational fight for the seat between Imran Khan and Aimal Wali Khan is expected. Charsadda Constituency NA-24 is also the home constituency of ANP Provincial President Amil Wali Khan.
The public opinion states that due to the vote bank of PDM and especially JUI, Aimal Wali Khan is likely to defeat Imran Khan. Aimal Wali Khan started his electoral politics for the first time since 2018 General Election Constituency PK-58.
More than five lakh voters of Charsadda Constituency NA-24 will exercise their right to vote today. Of 526862 voters, 291016 are male voters, whereas 235846 are female voters.
All arrangements have been made to ensure that the voting process is peaceful and transparent elections are conducted in Charsadda. A total of 384 polling stations have been set up. Of which, 196 are reserved for male voters, 154 for female voters and 3 for both male and female combined.
242 polling stations have been declared most sensitive, while 142 polling stations have been declared sensitive. A total of 2708 election staff consisting of Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers and Polling Officers have been deployed on duty.
Political History of NA-24 constituency Charsadda:
In the 1977 election, Begum Naseem Wali Khan, the late wife of Khan Abdul Wali Khan, won from the same constituency by defeating PPP candidate Abdul Rehman.
The constituency was formerly known as NA-7, but after the new delimitation in 2018, it was renamed as NA-24. Tehreek-e-Insaf won the election in the respective constituency for the first time in 2018. PTI candidate Fazal Muhammad Khan got more than 83 thousand votes, defeating ANP chief, Asfandyar Wali Khan.
Maulana Muhammad Gohar Shah won the constituency NA-7 in the 2002 general elections. While Asfandyar Wali Khan, Party Chief Awami National Party won the elections in 2008.
NA-24 fell again to Maulana Gohar Shah in the 2013 general elections and he successfully defeated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf candidate Fazal Muhammad and Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan.
Today, the Former Prime Minister and PTI chief, Imran Khan, is contesting the by-elections as his party’s candidate.