Electoral Setbacks to the Political Parties in 2018 General Election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Comparative Analysis of Anp in District Charsadda and Jamaat-E-Islami in District Lower Dir

Abstract

Introduction: 2018 general elections (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)) witnessed a bizarre tradition of robust deviation in the province politics. This article narrates the electoral decline of Awami National Party (ANP) in Charsadda and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Lower Dir, all due to a province-wide rise of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Methods: Sequential explanatory mixed-methods research with (i) quantitative official returns and district-balanced voter survey (~n≈385) analysis combined with (ii) qualitative (semi-structured interview) investigations among election officials, campaign actors, journalists, and citizens. Descriptive and group tests (t/ANOVA) uncovered patterns; and thematic analysis was used to illuminate mechanisms.

Results: PTI won dominant vote shares in both the districts (Charsadda ≈60%; Lower Dir ≈75%). This contrasts with an overall high turnout, particularly in Lower Dir (≈90% vs. ≈75% in Charsadda). Participation did not vary much by age or education, suggesting a wide political turn rather than a demographic quirk. Interviews coalesced around five processes: (1) a match between message–medium (reform/anti-corruption recast for modern times); (2) a youth–digital synergy that translated online visibility into commitments; (3) leadership credibility and local flexibility, per organizational agility; (4) hybrid mobilization (digital priming and door-to-door followup); as well as (5) the inefficacy of coordination/ideology (e.g., MMA) as electorates process the calculus of governance.

Conclusion: PTI’s advantage is a result of convergence of credible performance, digital capability and the reactive local infrastructure. Where competition overcame clinging to legacy symbolism without translating it into provable, near-term capability, strongholds cracked, too. The findings provide a tangible playbook for strategic renewal in an emerging electoral landscape of KP.

Keywords: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; 2018 elections; voter behavior; Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf; Awami National Party; Jamaat-e-Islami; social-media campaigning.

Keywords: Electoral Setbacks, Political Parties, General Election, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Comparative Analysis, District Charsadda, Jamaat-E-Islami, District Lower Dir.