Election officials yet to declare party positions

PPP claims having swept LG polls, followed by PTI in Hyderabad district

HYDRABAD:

The Regional Election Commission (REC) Hyderabad has not declared the party positions despite the passage of almost ten days after the January 15 local government elections in the six districts in the region's jurisdiction. The details about the wards won by the contestants in each of the municipal and town committees have not been shared.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has reportedly swept the polls in Hyderabad, winning the seats of chairmen and vice chairmen in 96 out of 153 union committees of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC), which consists of 160 UCs.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) bagged 40 UCs, independent candidates 14, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan two and Jamaat-e-Islami one. The PPP also secured the largest number of wards, 333, followed by PTI with 156 wards.

The elections were held on 629 out of 640 wards because of death of some candidates. Independent candidates emerged victorious in 90 wards, TLP from 15, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, which had boycotted the elections, won nine, JI seven and Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan five.

According to the PPP's local leaders, a majority of independent candidates are in negotiations with the party for the joining. The PPP with its 96 seats has secured a majority but after joining of half a dozen independent chairmen and vice chairmen the party will get two-third support in the house.

The PPP's candidates won 54 out of 66 seats of member district council (MDC) in Dadu district and 53 out of 64 seats of chairmen and vice chairmen of union councils.

The district's 199 wards went to the PPP, 51 to the PTI, seven to independent candidates and three to JUI-P.

The ruling party in the province won 39 seats of the municipal committees and 23 of the town committees while the PTI followed with 13 and two seats, respectively.

Meanwhile, the PPP's candidates succeeded on 23 seats of MDC and 24 seats of chairmen and vice chairmen of UCs in Matiari district which has 30 UCs.

The independent candidates secured five seats each in both the categories and JUI-Fazal one each.

As many as 91 wards of the UCs went to the PPP, 17 to independent candidates, six to JUI-F and three each to PML-N and GDA.

The ruling party bagged all 16 seats of municipal committee Matiari as well as 21 seats of six town committees. The GDA got five, independent three, PML-N and JUI-F one each.

In Tando Allahyar, PPP won 23 out of 25 seats of MDC, 22 out of 26 seats of chairmen and vice chairmen of UCs, 16 out of 22 wards of MC Tando Allahyar, 24 out of 27 wards in five TCs and 76 wards of the UCs.

The independent candidates secured a small fraction of the seats and the political parties trailed behind them.

In neighbouring Tando Muhammad Khan, 24 MDCs, 23 chairmen and vice chairmen, 88 ward councilors, 15 wards of a MC and eight wards of two TCs went to the PPP.

In Tando Muhammad Khan as well, the PPP did not witness much of an electoral fray by the political opponents as a small part of the contested seats were won by the independent candidates.

The PPP triumphed from 27 out of 30 UCs in Jamshoro and 95 out of 119 wards of UCs in Jamshoro district.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2023.