Parvez Elahi played a deft political move to evolve a consensus.

LAHORE -- The political genius and deftness of Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi was at sharp display last month when political observers were left amazed at the news that 11 Senators from Punjab were to be elected unopposed.

Since the smooth success of these senators to the upper house of the parliament, political observers have been grappling with questions about what prompted Ch Parvez Elahi to take the initiative of persuading all the stakeholders to come to an amicable arrangement on the Senate election.

Chaudhry Parvez Elahi managed to convince the two arch-rivals, the PTI and the PML-N, to make an otherwise intricate Senate poll a very simple affair. The astute move is being viewed as an example of perfect execution of the political craft and people have been keen to find answers to key questions to unfurl the course of events leading to this dramatic development.

The groupings in the parliamentary parties of the PML-N and the PTI have left each party vulnerable and no party could afford to let this affect its prospects in the Senate elections. Ch Parvez Elahi impressed upon the leadership of the main political parties that the internal divisions should be neutralised in order to gain maximum political advantage.

At least, five PML-N MPAs have made no secret of their open support for the Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and the leadership has also expelled them from the party. More lawmakers are said to be waiting in the wings to ride on the PTI bandwagon. It is believed that the PML-N could have lost one seat if the rebellious MPAs had not voted for the party candidates.

The state of affairs in the PTI is no different. A group of around 20 disgruntled MPAs was all set to ditch the party on the polling day, an eventuality that has been averted now in the new situation. The group leader Khawaja Dawood Sulemani is on the record having met with Speaker Ch Parvez Elahi as he openly spoke against the chief minister. He also leveled allegations of corruption and favouritism.

And, interestingly, Ch Parvez Elahi made this meeting public through a press release issued by the party's media wing. Around two weeks before the Senate election, members of this group went into hiding and were not accessible to many. They were secretly meeting at places having dinners and discussing the strategy. There were reports that they would come to cast their votes for the party candidates but make a technical mistake leading to their cancellation.

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