DADU: With only a day left to local government election scheduled for June 26, electioneering by candidates of different political parties in three districts of Shaheed Benazirabad division — Nawabshah, Sanghar and Naushahro Feroze — has reached a crescendo though actual fight appears to take place between ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and Grand Democratic Alliance.

Nawabshah, hometown of former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) may have to face tough contest in different wards in the wake of electoral alliance between Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Local leadership of MQM-P and PML-N has fielded candidates in 19 union committees and eight town committees in the city for the first time to against PPP.

There are 56 wards in the district — 15 wards in Sakrand, four in Shahpur Jahanian, seven in Qazi Ahmed, five in Daulatpur, nine in Daur, four in Jam Sahib, four in Buchheri and eight in Bandhi.

In eight town committees of the district, seven candidates have won unopposed while the remaining 323 candidates will fight it out over 49 seats.

In union committees, 337 candidates are vying for general seats. Out of 59 union councils in the district, 163 district council candidates are running for seats. Fifteen district council members and 21 candidates for chairman were elected unopposed.

Out of 312 general members of the district, 62 have been elected unopposed.

In Nawabshah municipal committee, out of 506 candidates contesting election 105 have been elected unopposed.

District Election Commissioner Pervaiz Kalwar informed that out of a total of 505 seats in the division 338 candidates were declared as winners unopposed. A total of 155 in Nawabshah, 87 in Sanghar and 56 in Naushahro Feroze were elected unopposed, he said.

Sindh United Party (SUP) had formed electoral alliance with National Peoples’ Party, Pakistan Peoples’ Party-Shaheed Bhutto, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) to give a tough time to PPP in Sakrand and Qazi Ahmed talukas, said SUP president Syed Zain Shah.

He accused Sindh government of posting its favourite returning officers (ROs) and assistant ROs (AROs) and using police force against the ruling party’s rivals. The ROs and ARs were PPP workers who were found involved in pre-poll rigging with the help of police, he said.

‘Partisan’ RO removed

The Election Commission of Pakistan has removed RO Farman Ali Gupchani who was posted in Qazi Ahmed taluka of Shaheed Benazirabad district on charges of his affiliation with the ruling party.

Sanghar district

In Sanghar, as many as 3,187 candidates are vying of different seats in four municipal committees, 11 town committees and 73 union councils in the district.

The candidates associated with PPP, MQM-P, PTI, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, GDA, PML-N, Jamaat-i-Islami, Awami Workers Party and independents are in the fray but the actual contest will be held between candidates of PPP and GDA.

As many as 94 candidates are running for 12 wards of Sanghar municipal committee while candidates for 87 seats have been elected unopposed.

Sanghar district consists of six talukas which include Sangahr, Jam Nawaz Ali, Sanjhoro, Khipro, Tando Adam and Shahdadpur.

There are four municipal committees and 11 town committees in Sanghar district while the municipal committee has 12 wards in Sanghar, 23 wards in Tando Adam city, 10 wards in Shahdadpur and three wards in Sanjhoro.

Naushahro Feroze district

A total of 2,024 candidates have submitted nomination forms for two municipal committees, nine town committees and 68 union councils in the district while 56 candidates have been elected unopposed.

The real fight is to be seen between the candidates of PPP and GDA while PTI and independent candidates may also grab a few seats in some pockets.

The total number of registered voters in the district is 924,545 for whom 711 polling stations have been set up.

In Moro taluka, GDA appears to be relatively strong against the ruling PPP while in Bhirya City and Mehrabpur, Nojwan Ittehad and Citizen Alliance have fielded candidates against PPP in all wards to prevent PPP having an easy sail.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2022