NAWABSHAH, May 8: Unlike other parts of the province, there is no visible change on the political scene of Shaheed Benazirabad district where bloc votes of biradris and clans will again play a decisive role in catapulting candidates to power.

Despite public shows of bouts of rage and switching of loyalties by some leaders and supporters, Pakistan Peoples Party appears to be as strong in the district as it used to be except in one constituency of a provincial assembly seat where the party will have to fight neck-and-neck to snatch a win from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

There are two National Assembly and five provincial assembly seats which the PPP had won in general elections of 2002 and 2008, defeating MQM, PML-N and others.

PML-F and MQM have held huge public meetings despite security risks but the PPP have preferred to confine itself to corner meetings, condolences and greetings.

Sources in the party said the party leadership believed it did not need organising big gatherings as the party had carried out record development works in the district and provided jobs to people, which were suffice to get votes.

But there are many who dispute such claims and react strongly during their meetings with party leaders in campaigns. Many voters and supporters say the party ignored them completely during its entire tenure.

A number of party office-bearers, including Syed Bagh Ali Shah, Inayat Ali Rind, Faqeer Faiz Hisbani and Chaudhry Ayub quit the PPP and switched over to PML-F and MQM but their exit appears to have done little harm to the party’s influence in the district.

For NA-213 (Nawabshah-I), Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, sister of President Asif Ali Zardari, was the PPP candidate for the third consecutive term. She won the seat in past two elections. Despite failing to keep contact with people, a fact she admitted during a press conference a few days ago, she enjoyed a sound position in the constituency.

Dr Pechuho is pitted against MQM’s Inayat Ali Rind, once a jiyala and a close aide to President Zardari, and PML-F’s Syed Zahid Hussain Shah. Other contestants for the seat are; Syed Athar Ali Shah of Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party, Gul Keerio of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf and Sardar Sher Mohammed Rind of PML-N.

Mr Rind has remained an MPA and administrator of Nawabshah municipal committee. The party has so far remained successful in bringing a fair number of notables, including Chaudhry Ayub from Daur and a number of others from Gupchani and parts of Nawabshah town, to its fold.

PML-F’s Syed Zahid had lost the seat twice to Dr Pechuho with a big margin. Sher Mohammed Rind, younger brother of former federal minister Sardar Yaar Mohammad Rind, joined PML-N a few years ago, is also in the run for NA-213 as an independent candidate after the party decided not to award him ticket.

Dr Pechuho will surely be the beneficiary after distribution of anti-PPP vote among candidates of MQM, PML-F and PML-N.

A neck-and-neck fight was expected over PS-24 which was won by PPP four times and twice by MQM. PPP has retained Chaudhry Tariq Masood Arain as its candidate who is pitted against MQM’s Asim Kabeer Khanzada.

Other contestants for the seat are; Syed Sajjad Shah of PML-N, Nisar Ali Keerio of Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party and others.

On PS-25, Saleem Raza Jalbani of PPP is pitted against Syed Bagh Ali Shah of PML-F and MQM’s Mureed Brohi. His uncle Ahmed Ali Jalbani had won the seat twice in 2002 and 2008 but he could not contest this time because of poor health and problems with degree.

Ali Nawaz Brohi who lost to Ahmed Ali in 2002 and 2008 with a big margin was also in the run as an independent candidate.

Syed Bagh Ali Shah, once a stalwart of PPP and remained taluka president of PPP Daur quit the party and joined PML-F in recent past.

On NA-214 (Nawabshah-II), PPP’s Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah was in a strong position. He had won the seat twice in previous elections with a huge margin.

PML-N has fielded Asghar Ali Rind, younger brother of former chief secretary of Sindh, K.B. Rind, as its candidate but Rind will not be able put up a spirited fight against Shah. MQM’s Sikander Keerio, STP’s Nisar Ali Keerio and some independents were also in the run for the NA seat.

On PS-28, Dahiris of Daulatpur, once strong rivals of PPP, were roped in to PPP recently, which has made the contest a pretty one-sided affair.

On PS-26, Syed Fasih Ahmed Shah of PPP is in a sound position who will cash in on the influence of Dahiris and Jamalis of Bandhi. Fasih won the seat in 2008 and his father Syed Ali Ahmed had won it in 2002.

Syed Asif Shah Jilani of PML-F, Khan Mohammad Zardari of MQM, Haji Riaz Zardari, an independent and Asif Ellahi Dahiri of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf were also in the run.

On PS-27, PPP’s Ghulam Qadir Chandio who won the seat in 2002 and 2008, was pitted against Syed Zain Shah, grandson of G.M. Syed, of Sindh United Party. Shah enjoys a good reputation among people and can put up a good fight.

Chandio was facing strong criticism for remaining away from his voters for the past five years but he has appeared to have controlled the damage so far by getting back support of Keerio, Unnar and Jamali tribes.

Saeed Khanzada of MQM and a few other independent candidates are also in the run for the seat.

On PS-28, the PPP awarded ticket to its former rival, Dr Bahadur Dahiri, who was in a strong position to win and dropped Sardar Jam Tamachi Unnar who had grabbed the seat twice in past two elections.

Other contestants for the seat are; Abdul Qadir Khilji of MQM, Ghulam Hyder Rahu of PML-F and a number of independent candidates.