No single party can lay claim to West district

LG polls likely to see tough contest in multi-ethnic towns

KARACHI:

West district comprises areas where people from different ethnic groups and political affiliations live. No single party can claim it to be its stronghold because almost all parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and religious parties have ruled this district in the past.

In the second phase of local government (LG) elections, which will be held on July 24, no single party could be confident of sweeping the polls. That is why political rivals with strong ideological differences have entered into alliances in many union committees.

District West mostly comprises backward localities. Many areas which were earlier part of this district have now been included in Keamari district. It is the fourth largest district of Karachi where candidates from 17 parties and 1,149 independents are contesting the LG elections. The district is divided into three towns which are sub-divided into 33 union committees and 132 wards.

There are 909,187 registered voters, including 529,411 male and 379,776 female voters.

According to the breakdown, there are nine union committees and 36 wards in Mominabad Town of District West where 316 candidates are in the race. Of these, 84 are running for chairman and vice-chairman slots while 232 are vying for ward members. Party-wise, PPP has fielded 40, PTI 38, Jamaat-e-Islami 38, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) 33, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) 22, Awami National Party (ANP) 21, MQM-P 17, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party 2, while GDA, Islamic Tehreek-e-Pakistan, Barabri Party, Rah-e-Haq Party, Allah Akbar Tehreek and JUI-Noorani have fielded one candidate each.

Similarly, Orangi Town of District West comprises eight union committees and 32 wards where MQM-P has fielded 39 candidates, TLP 39, PTI 37, JI 35, PPP 34, PSP 28, Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek 16, JUI-F six, Rah-e-Haq Party four; and ANP has two candidates, while 93 candidates are contesting independently. In total, 86 candidates are in the race for chairman and vice-chairman positions, while 250 are contesting for the slots of ward member.

Manghopir is the third largest town in District West which comprises of 16 union committees and 64 wards.

Here, the PTI has fielded 69 candidates, JI 69, PPP 65, TLP 59, MQM-P 45, JUI-F 34, PSP 26, PML-N 13, ANP 8, Mohajir Qaumi Movement six, GDA two, Rah-e-Haq Party two, Islamic Tehreek Pakistan three, and Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek has two candidates. Apart from this, 101 independent candidates are also in the contest.

Together Mominabad, Orangi and Manghopir towns have 33 UCs where 298 candidates are running for chairman and vice-chairman and 851 for ward member slots.

Overall, the PTI has fielded the most candidates 144, followed by PPP 139, JI 132, TLP 131, MQM-P 101, PSP 76, JUI-F 40, PML-N 33, ANP 31, Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek 23, Rah-e-Haq Party 18, Mohajir Qaumi Movement six, Islami Tehreek four, GDA three, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party two, and Barabri Party and JUP Noorani one each.

After the recent legislation by the Sindh Assembly for the inclusion of transgender and special people into the mainstream society, special seats have been reserved for them in the LG set-up which would now for the first time see representation from the transgender and special people.

There will be at least six reserved seats in both categories in the three towns of West district.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2022.