PPP retains PS-70 seat

Bagging 46,037 votes Halepoto emerges in Badin by-poll

HYDERABAD:

The Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Haji Muhammad Halepoto emerged victorious in the Badin by-poll on Thursday, retaining its PS-70 seat with 46,037 votes. His opponent, from Jamaat-e-Ulemae-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Gul Muhammad Zaunr trailed far behind with 6,342 votes.

The Matli taluka based seat became vacant after the demise of PPP MPA Bashir Ahmed Halepoto on March 23. Although six candidates were contesting in the bypolls, the main contest was considered to be between the candidates of the PPP and JUIF. The former candidate was considered a heavy-weight in the constituency.

The provincial election commissioner, Aijaz Ali Chohan, visited various polling stations to review the arrangements. Speaking to the media during the by-election, he said the polling process is continuing peacefully and added that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was satisfied with the security and all other arrangements. Some 166,809 people, including 91,587 male and 75,222 female voters, were registered to vote in the PS-70 constituency.

The voter turnout was assessed at around 35 per cent. The ECP had set up 123 polling stations. These included 72 combined and 28 for male and 23 for female voters. The Grand Democratic Alliance's Shahid Virk, T e h r e e k - e - L a b b a i k Pakistan's Muhammad Ali Sarhandi,Mjalis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen's Abbass Haider Laghari and independent candidate Abdul Ghafoor Halep