Against all odds, PTI won Punjab By-election with a landslide victory. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan stormed the ruling alliance and won 15 out of 20 provincial assembly seats. PTI won 3 constituencies of Lahore, which is always considered the stronghold of PMLN. As per the complete official result, PTI is leading with 15 seats and Pakistan Muslim League and alliance parties won only 4 seats. One seat is claimed by Independent candidate Pir Syed Rafi Uddin who had contested on the PMLN ticket in the 2018 General Election.
PTI won 15 seats of PA including PP-83 Khushab-II, PP-90 Bhakkar-II, PP-97 Faisalabad-I, PP-125-Jhang II, PP-127-Jhang-IV, PP-140 Sheikhupura-VI, PP-158, Lahore-XV, PP-167, Lahore-XXIV, PP-170 Lahore-XXVI, PP-202 Sahiwal-VII, PP217 Multan-VII, PP-224 Lodhran-I and PP-272, Muzaffargarh-V, PP-282 Layyah-III and PP-288 Dera Ghazi Khan-IV.
PML-N won 4 constituencies including PP-07 Rawalpindi-II, PP-168 Lahore-XXV, PP-237 Bahawalnagar-I and PP-273, Muzaffargarh-VI. PP-228 Lodhran-V is won by independent candidate Syed Rafi Udin. PTI has challenged the results of PP-07 Rawalpindi-II and PTI’s recount plea has been accepted.
PTI was required 13 seats to bring in-house change in Punjab. After this landslide victory, PTI and PMLQ alliance is in a comfortable position to bring their Chief Minister. Chairman PTI and former Prime Minister has already nominated Chaudry Pervaiz Elahi, former CM Punjab and current speaker of Punjab assembly, as their candidate for Chief Minister Punjab slot. After the Punjab by-polls, the number game in the Punjab assembly is completely changed and the ruling alliance has lost the majority.
As per the new number game, PTI (178) and PMLQ (10) alliance is leading with 188 PA seats. On the other hand, the ruling alliance including PMLN (167), PPPP (7), Rah-e-Haq party (1), and independents (4), claims 179 seats. As per the constitution of Pakistan, 186 seats are required to get simple majority in Punjab Assembly. As per the order of the supreme court, the election of CM will be conducted on the bases of the majority and the candidate does not require 186 votes which is a constitutional requirement for a simple majority.
