Reaching out: By-election campaigns lack enthusiasm

Only MQM candidates seen holding corner meetings

KARACHI: Two constituencies will go to polls on Thursday but the election campaign has been relatively subdued and lack enthusiasm.

The by-polls for NA-245 and PS-115 are being held on April 7 after Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) parliamentarians Rehan Hashmi and Arshad Vohra quit from their respective assembly seats following their victory in the local government elections. Hashmi has been elected as a vice-chairman while Vohra, who has been elected as a chairman, is the party's nominee for deputy mayor.

Even though there are several parties vying for the seats, only MQM appears to be somewhat active. "The reason why there is not much campaigning is because of the lack of interest being shown by the opposing parties," said MQM spokesperson Aminul Haque.



The JI is not contesting the elections, while there are hardly any banners of the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said Haque. "Our rivals are not even organising any corner meetings because they know that we will succeed."

Kamal Mallick, the MQM candidate for NA-245 that includes North Nazimabad, claimed that he has organised 40 corner meetings so far. "We have also campaigned in areas where there are Mohajirs as well as Pakhtoon and Christians," he said. The momentum for by-elections is usually slow as compared to the general elections but Mallick hoped that the turnout will be high.

According to the party, it has opened up several election offices in North Nazimabad and has started processing voter cards, which will be distributed soon. A door-to-door campaign is underway and women are also participating.



On Saturday, the party held a rally in which MQM chief Altaf Hussain was expected to address both the constituencies. Meanwhile, in PS-115 that includes Lines Area and Jacob Lines, MQM organised a kite festival as part of its election campaign.

PTI preparations

PTI leader Imran Ismail explained their lacklustre election campaign by saying they are no longer convincing voters to vote freely. In the NA-246 Azizabad by-elections, PTI's mission was to break the terror among voters, he told The Express Tribune. "No doubt there is no such terror of a particular group in the city and elections are going to be held in a peaceful environment," he said. Ismail believed that both, MQM and PTI, have failed to create any hype ahead of the elections.

The PTI candidate for PS-115, Amjad Asif Jah, said they are focusing more on door-to-door campaign and targeting those who hardly vote. Jah felt, however, that if PTI chief Imran Khan addressed a rally in his constituency, it will have a great impact on voters.

PTI's candidate for NA-245 Amjadullah Khan shared a similar strategy for his constituency. "We are emphasising on door-to-door campaign to mobilise as many voters as we can," he said, adding that he is confident in his victory as long as the elections are not rigged.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2016.