Seven candidates are in the running for the Punjab Assembly constituency PP-203 by-election, scheduled for Sunday, with 258,122 registered voters set to elect their representative amid an increasingly active political campaign.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has established 185 polling stations across the constituency for the smooth conduct of polling. The seat fell vacant following the death of PML-N MPA Hanif Jutt, who had been elected to the Punjab Assembly from this constituency after winning a previous by-election on November 25, 2025.
According to the Election Commission, 10 candidates initially submitted nomination papers for the contest. Three subsequently withdrew, leaving seven candidates in the field.
Who is contesting
PML-N candidate Asad Hanif Jutt is contesting on the party ticket with the election symbol of the lion, while Awais Mahmood Gujjar, representing Tehreek-e-Ehsaas Pakistan, has been allotted the streetlight symbol. The remaining five candidates are contesting as independents.
The constituency has a total of 258,122 registered voters, comprising 135,728 men and 122,394 women, according to ECP figures. The number of male voters is therefore higher than that of female voters by 13,334.
The contest is centred on Chichawatni, and the campaign has grown more active in the final days before polling. With the PML-N defending a seat it won a year ago, the party will want to hold it, while the independents and the Tehreek-e-Ehsaas Pakistan candidate will look to take advantage of any split in the vote.
PP-203 by-election: why it matters
By-elections fill seats that fall vacant between general elections, and PP-203 is one of several Punjab Assembly seats to go to the polls this year. They rarely change who forms a government, but they are read closely as a measure of a party’s standing in its own strongholds.
That is why Sunday’s result will draw attention beyond Chichawatni. The PML-N holds the provincial government in Punjab, and a loss in a seat it won a year ago would be embarrassing. A win, on the other hand, would let the party present the result as a vote of confidence from its voters.
For the five independent candidates, the contest is a test of whether local standing can beat party machinery. Independents often do well in by-elections where voters know the candidates personally, and with seven names on the ballot, the winning margin may be narrow. Election tribunals have been active elsewhere too: a tribunal in Gilgit-Baltistan suspended a PPP lawmaker and ordered a re-poll.
What happens after polling
Once polling closes on Sunday, counting will take place at each of the 185 polling stations, and the ECP will announce the result after the count is complete. The winning candidate will take the seat in the Punjab Assembly, joining a house where the PML-N already holds a comfortable position.
MPs across the country must also declare their assets by December 31, under a separate Election Commission requirement that keeps elected representatives’ finances on the record. The new MPA for PP-203 will fall under the same disclosure rules once elected.
Voters in Chichawatni will decide on Sunday whether the PML-N keeps the seat or a challenger takes it. The result will be read as a small but telling test of the party’s standing in Punjab, where it holds the provincial government.
Frequently asked questions
When is the PP-203 by-election?
Polling is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, 2026.
How many candidates are contesting PP-203?
Seven candidates are in the running, after three of the original 10 withdrew their nomination papers.
How many voters are registered in PP-203?
There are 258,122 registered voters: 135,728 men and 122,394 women.
Why did the PP-203 seat fall vacant?
The seat fell vacant after the death of PML-N MPA Hanif Jutt, who had won the seat in a by-election on November 25, 2025.
