SANGHAR: Sanghar residents go to the polls today to use their right to franchise in by-election for PS-43 (Sanghar-III), which may tilt in favour of Pakistan Peoples Party’s candidate because he is poised to secure sympathy votes and have an open field in the absence of a strong rival.

PPP candidate Jam Shabbir Ali, who was awarded ticket after the death of his elder brother Jam Madad, is facing a relative newcomer, Mushtaque Junejo of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, who will be in uncharted waters as the party has not had any opportunity yet to test its support base in the constituency.

Understandably, PML-F, which has won seats in this constituency several times, has not fielded its candidate, in deference to late PPP leader Jam Madad Ali since the PML-F candidate, who also happens to be a member of Jam clan, must have chosen to stay away in favour of the grieving relative.

PTI’s Junejo has no traditional vote bank in the constituency and he will thus be relying heavily on the party’s support in the area, which has not been tested as yet in any electoral contest. As the party has no visible support base in this constituency, many political analysts foresee an easy victory for the PPP candidate.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan distributed election material among polling staff at government degree college here on Monday. The constituency for the by-poll covered areas of Jam Nawaz Ali taluka and a number of union councils in Sanghar and Sinjhoro talukas.

The ECP has set up 132 polling stations, out of which 37 have been declared very sensitive and 64 sensitive. Rangers’ personnel will be deployed outside the polling stations across the constituency, according to ECP sources.

The provincial government has announced local holiday across the constituency on polling day.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2021