DefinePK

Abstract

This research study primarily explores to analyze voting behavior and leadership preferences in District Bajaur (PK-22) as a case study of 2024 elections. The central objective of this research study is to explicitly analyze the factors that influenced the voters’ behavior of voters to switch their vote from PTI to ANP and also explore the role of political party and the individual candidacy, shaping changes in voting behavior. This research employ Quantitative research approach with its survey and descriptive designs for collection and analysis of data. The findings of this research study explicitly indicate that not only political parties’ traditional worldwide factors decide voting choices but, also they are decided by the candidate's personality. While some of the voters had factored in the position of political parties and their resources, the finding indicate that the personal qualities and leadership style of the candidate were the primary reasons to why they shifted their vote from one party to another party during the by-election. There are some traditional factors such as Biradari, friendship, linguism, financial resources are not influential but, media coverage and ideology are still influential. Now modernization is increasing literacy rate, media exposure has change the voters’ preferences from class loyalty to performance standard-based analysis of the candidate. Furthermore, candidate personality and leadership abilities have much stronger influence in deciding voters’ choice. Most of the voters’’ choice was influenced by the candidate personal abilities not the role of political party.