At Korangi Crossing, a large picture of MQM chief Altaf Hussain stands next to a monumental pillar erected in the middle of the main Korangi Road. Mr Hussain’s right hand is raised in greeting to people travelling from the city centre towards Landhi-Korangi.

Nearby road-building machines — bulldozers, tractors, rollers, mixers — growl and hum, ripping up the surface and laying fresh, shining layers of bitumen mixed with crushed stone.

This place also marks the territorial limits of the party that rules the roost beyond it. This was the point which served as the border line during the strike called by the MQM in the early-to- mid-90s. No vehicles moved past it towards Korangi whereas from the crossing to Saddar, the strikers’ grip remained loose. In the 2002 general election. Nawab Mirza, a lawyer from Hyderabad and the MQM candidate, had won the National Assembly seat of NA-254, which roughly comprised this town of former District East. The three Sindh assembly seats (PS 123, 124 and 125) overlapping this town were also won by the MQM. So, the overall position here is clearly in the MQM’s favour.

During the 2001 local body elections, however, the Jamaat-i- Islami backed Al-Khidmat group emerged as a strong contestant and grabbed three UC nazim seats as well as that of town nazim. Obviously, the JI’s showing owed itself to the MQM’s absence from the arena.

Led by Abdul Jamil as town nazim, the last local government performed commendable civic uplift, building colleges both for men and women, and laying parks and roads, installing street- lights and improving water supply and sanitation.

The Al-Khadim group had also fared well in this town during the last local polls. But the Sunni Tehrik, flourishing on the same sectarian vote-bank as Al-Khadim, appears to have an edge this time around. Incidentally, the ST and the JUI-F groups use the same nomenclature — Insan Dost Panel.

With each UC having a total of 13 seats, including that of UC nazim and naib nazim, there are likely to be unexpected winners and unsuspected losers in the lower ranks.

The ruling alliance of the MQM and the PML-Q have made seat adjustments to benefit each other. So have the opposition parties such as the Al-Khidmat group favouring the ST or Al-Khadim and vice versa.

With the Urdu-speakers forming the largest group, several other linguistic organizations also have their own solid pockets, making Korangi Town a true mix of population.

With its boundaries extending to the Defence Housing Authority, the town is flanked by Landhi Town on the East, Bin Qasim on the South, Korangi Creek Cantonment Board on the South- West and the Malir River on the North-West.

The main artery passing through the town is known as Korangi Road, running through Nasir Colony, Korangi numbers 1, 2, 2-1/2, 3, 3-1/2, 4, 4-1/2, 5, 5-1/2 and 6. Korangi Town, however, stops short of 3-1/2, and then turns towards Bilal Chowrangi, via what is called the Double Road (official name 8,000 Road). As with other town boundaries, this town’s name is also misleading as parts of Korangi Town, including Jay Area and Kay Area, fall in the jurisdiction of Landhi Town, though Korangi 6 again falls in Korangi Town. Otherwise too, the town’s boundaries are not bound by the main roads and seem to twist and turn along its neighbouring towns of Landhi and Bin Qasim, and most part of Korangi-6 again falls in Korangi Town.

The other artery dividing the above numbered areas from the town’s components of Bilal Colony and Gulzar Colony is known as the Industrial Area road, which runs from the Hino Chowrangi near Qayyumabad up to Daud Chowrangi in Landhi.

The main Korangi Road is under construction, which was launched by former Karachi nazim Niamatullah Khan. Work on it had remained suspended for a long time, causing inconvenience to thousands of commuters using this road. Even the former nazim’s visit to the road and instructions for immediate resumption of work had failed to bear fruit. Mercifully, work has resumed on parts of the road.

The town’s landmarks include an array of wedding lawns, many prominent industrial units, the National Refinery, the Islamic Mission Hospital, branches of prominent private schools and separate government colleges for men and women.

Its middle and lower-middle class inhabitants were estimated at 546,504 in the 1998 census. The number of registered voters is 233,270, including 98,022 women.

The town consists of nine union councils of the city’s 178 UCs. Bilal Colony has 22,059 voters, including 7,442 women voters; Nasir Colony has 24,274, including 9,968 women; Chakra Goth has 27,018, including 11,448 women; Mustafa Taj Colony has 24,846, including 10,785 women; 100 Quarters has 25,817, including 11,105 women; Gulzar Colony has 27,689, including 11,748 women; Sector 33 has 27,473, including 12,108; Zaman Town has the largest number of voters 28,519, including 12,237 women; and the Hasrat Mohani Colony union council has 25,575, including 11,191 women voters. UC-1 (Bilal Colony) has in its limits besides Bilal Colony, Nusrat Colony, Mehran Town, Allahabad Town, Mohammad Ali Goth, Haji Ibrahim Panwar Goth, Sharifabad and Gulzar Colony. Interestingly, one of the USs is also known as UC Gulzar Colony. The National Refinery, a number of tanneries and factories also fall in this union council. People from Punjab and the NWFP mainly feed the labour force to these factories and live in these settlements. The goths are inhabited by Sindhi and Baloch populations. Bengali- and Urdu-speaking people also have their pockets.

Sardar Aurangzeb Khan was elected nazim and Haq Nawaz naib nazim in this UC in the last LB elections. The sardar is seeking re-election as an independent claiming to be backed by various bradaris, including the Hazarvis and Arains. Among his rivals is Imranullah Khan Durrani who claims to have the backing of the Haq Parast Group.

People living in the twin-settlement of Gulzar Colony and Bilal Colony are exposed to serious health hazards. The stench from the tanneries and the refinery makes its rounds of the settlements, polluting the environment.

A private school sits just neither do opposite a big tannery gate. Its students have no option the residents. Those who can afford, leave the area for other places. Those who are compelled to endure the pollution, endure it endlessly. Why these colonies were allowed to be established in the first place doesn’t evoke a satisfacting answer. Nor why the school was allowed to be set up and later registered?

UC-2 (Nasir Colony) has under its jurisdiction Allahwala Town, Darussalam Housing Society, PNT Colony, Nasir Colony and Qayyumabad, whose land is intertwined with that of the Defence Housing Authority. In fact, the DHA has ringed it and in theory it can block the locality’s entrance and exit.

One of the most interesting contests will be seen in this town. In the 2001 local body elections, Mian Mohammad Ilyas Rasheed and Syed Waqar Hussain Shah were returned as nazim and naib nazim, respectively, from this constituency on the PML-N’s tickets. The two men did not get along well, parted company and this time they are facing each other as nazim candidates.

Ilyas Rasheed, from Punjab, is seeking re-election as an independent candidate. Waqar Hussain, from Hazara division, is a candidate of the PML-backed Khushhal Pakistan group. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s support gives an edge to Mr Shah in localities such as Nasir Colony, but it may alienate voters opposed to the MQM.

The other contestant for nazim’s slot in this constituency include Mansur Feroze of the Jamaat-i-Islami and Mohammad Sarwar Awan of the Sunni Tehrik.

UC-3 (Chakra Goth) has in its jurisdiction Korangi I, Chakra Goth, Christian Town and the Islamic Mission Hospital. The largest ethnic group here is that of Bengali-speaking people. The other major populations are Urdu-speakers, Christians and Sindhis, respectively.

Dr Abdul Ghaffar Tabassum was elected nazim on PML ticket in the last local body elections. Buoyed by his success and the development work he carried out, he is standing for the post again — this time as an independent. He is faced by the Haq Parast group’s Jamaluddin and Hafiz Mohammad Yahya, among others.

UC-4 (Mustafa Taj Colony) includes Rahimabad, Mustafa Taj Colony, and the Sectors 48-B and 48-F. This is mostly populated by Urdu-speakers. The JI has not put up a candidate here.

UC-5 (100 Quarters) having 100 Quarters as the epicentre of its? Voters as Mohajirs are in a majority and analysts believe that it makes for a very easy win for the MQM. The Sunni Tehreek (Insan Dost) and Al-Khadim groups are also active in this constituency.

UC-6 (Gulzar Colony) excludes Gulzar Colony and includes Sectors 32-A and 32-B, R. Area and Zia-ul-Haq Colony. This also has mixed population and if the Bengali-speakers votes swing in one direction, their’s will be the decisive vote.

UC-7 (Sector 33) includes Sectors A, B, C and localities called C Area, O Area and Q Area. It has mostly an Urdu-speaking population. In the last election, it had returned Al-Khadim candidates as nazim and naib nazim.

UC-8 (Zaman Town) comprises Zaman Town, Labour Square, Bengali Para, Sector 34 and Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3. The previous town nazim, Abdul Jamil, lives in this UC and seems to have given particular attention to development.

UC-9 (Hasrat Mohani Colony) has Hasrat Mohani Colony and Sectors 51-A and 51-B as its main components. It is overwhelmingly populated by Urdu-speakers.