PS-81 constituency: PPP secures rare win in Sanghar by-polls

Jam Madad Ali secures more than 35,900 votes against PML-F’s Jam Nafees Ali Khan, who got 26,401

HYDERABAD: In a historic electoral win for Pakistan Peoples Party, its candidate Jam Madad Ali defeated on Thursday the candidate fielded by his former political party, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, in the by-election in Sindh Assembly’s PS-81 constituency.

As temperature touched 44 degrees Celsius, 45 per cent of the voters turned up to vote in Sanghar district, home to six MPAs. This is the second time this constituency underwent a by-election since the 2013 general elections.

According to unofficial results, Jam Madad Ali secured more than 35,900 votes against PML-F’s Jam Nafees Ali Khan, who got 26,401 votes. As many as 139,001 people were registered to vote in this constituency where 122 polling stations were set up.



Although the polling process remained largely peaceful, a PPP supporter, Saleh Khaskheli, was killed and another, Ali Hassan Khaskheli, was injured in a brawl allegedly with the PML-F men in the jurisdiction of the Talah Shah police station.

Director-General of Rangers Maj-Gen Muhammed Saeed visited some polling stations here.

A statement later quoted him as saying that the polling progressed peacefully in all polling stations.



As many as 3,500 policemen and more than 700 personnel of Rangers were deployed to oversee security.

After Jam Madad’s win, the district’s representation will be divided equally between the PPP and the PML-F with each party having three MPAs from Sanghar.

During successive elections, PPP managed to secure PS-81 seat just once in 2013. But that victory proved ephemeral as results were annulled by a court and subsequently, PML-F’s Jam Madad had won the by-polls from this area for a fourth time since 1993.

Jam Madad switched political loyalties earlier this year and joined PPP. He, subsequently, resigned from the assembly in February this year, leaving the seat vacant.

“I thank the people of the area for reposing their trust in me again,” Jam Madad told media persons here.

During the polling, Jam Nafees complained that the police were harassing his party workers and supporters.