PESHAWAR (National Times) – Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has postponed polling for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Elections in Baka Khel over security situation.

According to details, the election commission has said that new date for the election will be announced later and a three member committee has been formed to investigate the allegations of pre-poll rigging.

Earlier, a complaint was filed in the ECP against a provincial minister and his accomplices for alleged pre-polling rigging and abducting polling staff and security personnel.

It merits mention that over 12.668 million registered voters, including 7,015,757 male and 5,653,095 female voters, would decide the fate of 37,752 candidates contesting for different seats, while 4,188 polling stations have been declared sensitive and 2,507 most sensitive.

Stringent security arrangements have been made in this regard. 77,000 policemen and law-enforcement personnel have been deployed outside polling stations and booths for the security of voters.

There are 676 candidates contesting elections for 65 seats of city mayor and tehsil chairman. PTI is the only party which has fielded candidates for all the 65 seats and no party has been able to field 65 candidates. JUI-F has fielded 59 candidates, ANP is in third position with 55 candidates, while PML-N’s 51 candidates will contest elections and 47 candidates of Jamaat-e-Islami will contest polls, while PPP’s 43, 14 candidates of Qaumi Wattan Party (QWP) and 305 independent candidates are hopeful for victory.

Every voter will be able to cast 6 votes in the election, the color of the ballot paper will be different for different seats, white ballot paper will be used for city mayor / tehsil chairman. Silver color has been allotted for the general seat of Neighborhood / Village Council.