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PML-N roars the loudest in Pak by-polls

There were a total of 519 candidates contesting for 41 seats - 15 of National Assembly and 26 of provincial assemblies

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Press Trust of India Islamabad
The ruling PML-N grabbed the lion's share of seats in Pakistan's biggest ever by-elections held in 41 constituencies consolidating its grip on power.

The polls, generally held in a peaceful and transparent manner except in some constituencies where women were not allowed to vote, was also marked with some big upsets.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik- e-Insaf lost two of its key seats of National Assembly that were vacated by none other than the party chief himself.

The spree of upsets did not spare the PML-N either that lost three seats in the Punjab Assembly, considered as the ruling party's bastion.
 
Two of these seats were vacated by the PML-N's bigwigs - Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa.

The overall, unofficial NA results suggest that PML-N won five seats, PPP won two seats, Imran's party three and Awami National Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) each won a seat.

By-polls on Punjab Assembly seats were a PML-N show where it got 12 out of 15 seats. The PPP and the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf were both leading on two seats each. In Sindh Assembly, the MQM got three seats while PPP won one seat.

There were a total of 519 candidates contesting for 41 seats - 15 of National Assembly and 26 of provincial assemblies.

The election authorities have withheld the results in NA-5 Nowshera and NA-27 Lakki Marwat where women were barred from casting their votes. The new date for re-polling has not been announced.

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First Published: Aug 23 2013 | 12:55 PM IST

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