Bilawal to face stiff competition for 'safe' Larkana seat

The NA-163 constituency has always gone to the PPP since the party was founded

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, whose nomination form for the NA-200 constituency in Larkana was restored after scrutiny on Thursday, will be contesting from a constituency where the PPP has remained invincible since 1970. Former prime minister and founding head of the PPP, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who is Bilawal's maternal grandfather, was elected twice from this constituency - in 1970 when it was called NW-116 and in 1977 when it was called NA-163.

Bilawal's grandmother Begum Nusrat Bhutto was also elected four times from the same seat, which was renamed to NA-164 from 1988 to 1997 elections. The PPP's candidates retained the seat in the three general elections from 2002 to 2013 with late Mohammad Ayaz Soomro being the last MNA, when this constituency was called NA-204.

Bilawal's mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was also elected from this seat in Larkana four times from 1988 to 1997. "We hope that like his grandfather, grandmother and mother, Bilawal will also get elected from this seat and lead the country," said advocate Farooq H Naek while talking to the media in Larkana outside the office of the returning officer of NA 200.

However, unlike in the past elections, Bilawal will be confronted with a formidable competitor, the Jamiat-e-Ulema-i-Islam-F's Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro, is contesting the elections as a candidate of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. Soomro has won the backing of several groups opposing the PPP in Larkana, including that of  the Larkana Awami Ittehad.

The Pir Pagara-led Grand Democratic Alliance has already announced its support for Soomro while there are unconfirmed reports that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf may also eventually lend its electoral support to him. "We are trying to make it a one-on-one contest in NA 200," a leader of GDA, who requested anonymity, told The Express Tribune.

The candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, which is the leading party in GDA, Mehtab Akbar Rashdi was polled 32,006 votes in 2013 against 50,128 votes of PPP's late MNA Soomro. "If we managed to prevent the voters who are likely to vote against the PPP or in support of other political parties from being scattered, we can defeat Bilawal in the elections," said a leader of PTI, who did not want to be identified.