Heavyweights of the ruling Kuomintang and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party gathered in Jhongli Friday evening, making a last minute push for their respective candidates in Saturday's legislative by-election in Taoyuan County. Legislative by-elections will be held Saturday in Taoyuan, Hualien, Hsinchu and Chiayi counties, but the contest in Taoyuan, with four candidates who all have strong backing, is considered the most challenging for both parties. The KMT, which failed to win any of the three legislative seats in legislative by-elections held in early January, is expecting to recover public support in Saturday's by-elections, while the DPP, boosted by its sweep last month, is contending for more representation in Taiwan's legislature. At present, the ruling KMT holds 74 seats, the DPP 30 seats, and independents five seats in the 113-seat Legislative Yuan. President Ma Ying-jeou, in his capacity as chairman of the ruling Kuomintang, had a busy schedule Friday, traveling from Hualien in eastern Taiwan to the northern counties of Hsinchu and Taoyuan. KMT candidates Wang Ting-sheng in Hualien, Cheng Yung-tang in Hsinchu, and Chen Hsueh-sheng in Taoyuan are all facing fierce competition from DPP and independent candidates. Many of the independents are KMT mavericks who have decided to run despite facing party discipline. In Hualien County, Wang is fighting a two-front battle against DPP candidate Hsiao Bi-khim and independent Shih Sheng-lang, who has close connections with Hualien County Magistrate Fu Kun-chi. Fu is a former KMT member who had a big win over the KMT's candidate in the magistrate election last December. KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin said Saturday that as long as KMT supporters show up at the polls and cast their ballots for Wang on Saturday, there is good chance for the KMT candidate to win the legislative seat for Hualien. Meanwhile, campaigning for DPP candidate Peng Shao-chin in Hsinchu Saturday afternoon, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said that although KMT-leaning voters were the majority in three of the four constituencies in past elections, the DPP is expecting a reversal this time. A total of 233,116 voters in Taoyuan County's third electoral district, 358,854 in Hsinchu County, 221,816 in Chiayi County's second electoral district, and 197,426 in Hualien County are eligible to cast votes Saturday. Polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 