PPP set to announce Hyderabad mayor

Bags 63 UCs, PTI wins 40, independents 16, Tehreek-e-Labbaik two and JI one

HYDRABAD:

The Pakistan Peoples Party is likely to elect its mayor of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) with two-third majority after securing 94 seats of chairmen of union committees. The count is likely to increase after the independent candidates elected from 16 UCs decide their affiliation and after announcement of the withheld results of two UCs.

However, the PPP has still not made public its choice for the mayor of Hyderabad.

According to the PPP's sources, Sindh information and transport minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Sindh irrigation minister Jam Khan Shoro both are trying to bring their candidates with the name of the latter's brother, Kashif Shoro, making the rounds.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan's provisionally concluded results, the polling was held in 124 UCs because candidates from 31 UCs returned unopposed while election was postponed in five other UCs due to deaths of the candidates. The PPP's candidates have been elected from 63 UCs, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's from 40, independent candidates from 16, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan's from two and Jamaat-e-Islami's from one.

The PPP had already secured all the 31 uncontested victories. The HMC consists of nine Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs) including Nerunkot, Mian Sarfaraz, Preetabad, Tando Jam, Tando Fazal, Sachal Sarmast, Shah Latifabad, Hussainabad and Qasimabad.

The PPP won from 13 UCs in Nerunkot, 8 in Mian Sarfaraz, 2 in Preetabad, 13 in Tando Jam, 14 in Tando Fazal, 14 in Sachal Sarmast, 12 in Hussainabad and 15 in Qasimabad. The party could not secure any of the 18 UCs in Shah Latifabad.

Similarly, the PTI's candidates were elected from 14 UCs in Shah Latifabad, 13 in Preetabad, five in Mian Sarfaraz, four in Sachal Sarmast and two each in Nerunkot and Hussainabad.

The three TMCs, Tando Jam, Qasimabad and Tando Fazal, did not give any seat of chairman and vice chairman to PTI. The TLP won one each UC from Nerukot and Preetabad and the JI from Shah Latifabad.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2023.