BADIN, May 8: Since 1975 when Badin district was created by late PPP leader Haji Nabi Bux Khan Bhurgari, the area has remained a PPP fort with its candidates bagging all national and provincial assembly seats by comfortable margins. However, the once impregnable PPP fort has begun to show signs of erosion.

In 1997, the first election after the creation of Badin district, PPP candidates won from one national assembly and two provincial assembly seats unopposed. On the remaining one national assembly seat and two provincial assembly seats they had won by high margins.

The winning streak more or less continued in the 1985, 1988 and 1993 election as well. The PPP swept all national and provincial assembly seats in 1993 when Dr Zulfiqar Mirza beat Mir Murtaza Bhutto by 26,215 votes on NA-273.

The first crack in the PPP wall in Badin appeared in 1997 when the PPP leadership brought ‘outsiders’ to contest polls in Badin. The move cost PPP one provincial assembly seat, PS-49 (Gorchani), from where Muhammed Ismail Rahu won by 5,340 votes after defeating PPP candidate Qazi Amjad Abid, brother of Dr Fehmida Mirza.

The people, unhappy about candidates being brought in from other areas, swayed towards Mir Murtaza’s faction of the PPP.

In 2002, the party lost on a provincial assembly seat again, this time at PS-57 (Tando Bago). PPP candidate Haji Abdul Karim Bhurgari was defeated by Syed Ali Bux Shah, alias Papoo Shah, of the PML-Q.

However, riding on the sympathy wave PPP managed to bag all seats in the 2008 election as well.

This time around, there are two national assembly and five provincial assembly seats up for grabs in Badin. One more provincial assembly constituency, PS-56, was created when Talhar taluka was announced by late Benazir Bhutto when she was the prime minister.

Though the PPP still holds its ground in Badin, it will have to put up a tough fight to be able to win by comfortable margins.

NA-224 This constituency — comprising of Matli, Talhar and Tando Bago tehsils — has always been held by PPP’s Ghulam Ali Khan Nizamani who defeated PML-F candidate Ali Akbar Khan Nizamani.

However, this time the PPP refused to award a part ticket to Mr Nizamani, instead giving it to Kamal Khan Chang, even though Nizamani did not withdraw his candidature.

NA-225 Former national assembly speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza won from this constituency in 2008. Her due attention to her home district has earned her the support of the people and the Pir of Lowari Sharif as well.

Dr Mirza is contesting against Bibi Yasemeen Shah of the PML-F and Noor Muhammad Soomro.

A number of followers of the Pir Sahab Paghara belong to Badin making Bibi Yasmeen while Mr Noor Mohammad Soomro has the support of his large Soomra community.

PS-55 A hot contest is expected at PS-55 (Matli) with PPP’s Basheer Aman Halepoto contesting against PML-F’s Ali Akbar Nizamani, with a few other candidates.

PS-56 PPP’s Allah Bux Khan Talpur is contesting against Nasir Khan Nizamani, alias Abdul Razzaque of the PML-F for PS-56 (Badin-cum-Tando M. Khan).

PS-57 A tough fight is expected between Barrister Husnain Mirza of the PPP and Syed Ali Bux Shah, alias Papoo Shah, of the PML-F for PS-57 (Tando Bago).

In 2008 the Dr Zulfiqar Mirza won from this seat which was later contested by his son Hasnain Mirza after his father resigned from the provincial cabinet.

PS-58 As customary, Dr Sikander Ali Mandhro, PPP’s district chief, is contesting from this seat. His popularity graph seems to be going down as residents and party workers complain that during his last term he ignored his constituency when dolling out jobs and development works.

To contest against Mr Mandhro, city traders have fielded Taj Muhammad Mallah while the Sindh 10-party alliance has fielded Mir Muhammad Parhyar as their candidate. Taj Muhammad Mallah has the support of his large fisherman community while nationalists seem to be backing Mir Muhammad Parhyar, a candidate of the Sindh United Party. Besides, independent candidates are also in the race against Dr Sikander Mandhro. However, despite stiff competition his position has been bolstered after the United Memon Jamat and Pir of Lowari Sharif announced their support for him.

PS-59 In 2008 Ali Nawaz Chandio succeeded from PS-59 (Golarchi) and is contesting from the seat again.

The tehsil is famous for sunflowers and is inhabited by a large number of Bengali and Punjabi settlers who were granted land here during the tenure of former president Ayub Khan.

The contest is looking to be fierce with PML-N’s Muhammad Ismail Rahu, a son of a famous hari leader and socialist Fazal Rahu, competing against PPP’s Muhammad Nawaz Chandio, a land lord and a legendary practitioner of ‘rural’ politics.

This is the second consecutive face off between Chandio and Rahu, since Chandio beat Rahu to the provincial assembly earlier in 2008 election.