Unofficial results declare PML-N candidate winner in Multan by-polls

According to unofficial results of all 196 polling stations, PML-N’s Rana Mehmoodul Hassan is leading vote tally with 26,540 votes followed by PTI’s Rana Abdul Jabbar with 20,341 votes.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has congratulated party candidate Hassan for victory in the by-election. He said the triumph reflected people’s confidence in the PML-N.

A total of 12 candidates vied for the seat, while earlier, a tough competition was anticipated among PPP’s Muhammad Hussain Arain, PML-N’s Rana Mehmoodul Hassan and PTI’s Rana Abdul Jabbar.

The total number of voters in the constituency were 178,000. The election commission had established 133 polling stations and 394 polling booths in the constituency.

The district government had announced a local holiday and also imposed Section 144 and banned display of weapons, rallies and gathering of people in large number.

The candidates of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) fought a three-pronged contest for the seat declared vacant after provincial minister Abdul Waheed Arain was disqualified by an election tribunal for possessing two national identity cards and the Supreme Court also rejected his appeal.