PPP indecisive about Hyderabad mayor
More than five months after the local government (LG) elections of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) were held, some 796 elected members will take the oath of their office at nine separate venues on May 22.
The oaths would be taken for 159 seats of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the Union Committees (UCs) of HMC and 637 seats of General Members Wards.
According to the breakup of the party positions, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is set to elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the HMC, bagging just two seats short of a two-thirds majority.
In the house having 160 seats, the PPP has clinched 100 constituencies, followed by Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf's 41, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan's two and Jamaat-e-Islami's one. However, keeping in view a great number of seats, 15, won by the independent candidates, attaining a two-thirds majority will not be difficult for the PPP.
The election in one UC, 119, was twice postponed due to violence.
Though the party has secured predominance in the house, the PPP has not yet declared its candidates for the offices of mayor and deputy mayor.
Nevertheless, the names of Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro's brother Kashif Shoro, who was formerly Chairman of the Qasimabad Municipal Committee, PPP Hyderabad President Sagheer Qureshi and Irfan Gul Magsi are making the rounds.
Shoro has put his weight behind his brother. But the Sindh information and mass transit minister is reportedly supporting Qureshi. The former federal minister Moula Bux Chandio also reportedly does not support Shoro.
In addition to the HMC, the PPP will also elect its chairmen in seven out of nine Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs) in the HMC.
The PTI has won a majority in the rest of the two.
The PPP's candidates for chairmen and vice chairmen secured 14 seats each in TMC Nerunkot, TMC Sachal Sarmast and TMC Hussainabad, 10 in TMC Mian Sarfaraz, 13 seats in TMC Tando Jam, 15 seats in TMC Tando Fazal and all the 18 seats in TMC Qasimabad.
Likewise, 13 seats in TMC Paretabad and 15 seats in TMC Shah Latifabad, went to the PTI.
Among the 637 seats of General Member Wards, the PPP secured 339 wards, PTI 157, independent candidates 91, TLP 15, JI 7, Jamaat-e-Ulemai-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) 5, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) 2 and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) one.
There are four wards in each UC of HMC.
Meanwhile, the oath-taking ceremonies will be organized in nine separate places for as many TMCs.
All the elected members of UCs 1 to 18 of TMC Nerunkot will be administered the oath at Taluka Education Office, Hirabad, while those of UCs 19 to 36 of TMC Mian Sarfaraz and UCs 37 to 54 at Government Degree College, Paretabad, and Girls Degree College, Paretabad, respectively.
The representatives of UCs 55 to 70 of TMC Tando Jam and UCs 71 to 87 of TMC Tando Fazal will take oath at Government Noor Muhammad High School, City, and District Election Commissioner Officer, respectively.
The Assistant Commissioner of Latifabad and City talukas will take oaths at their offices from the elected members of UCs 88 to 106 of TMC Sachal Sarmast and UCs 107 to 124 of TMC Shah Latifabad, respectively.
The ceremony for the elected representatives of UCs 125 to 142 of TMC Hussainabad will take place at the Niaz Hall of Public School Hyderabad in Latifabad and for the elected members of UCs 143 to 160 of TMC Qasimabad at Taluka Education Officer, Qasimabad.