PPP wins NA-196 by-election amid low turnout
Marked by a low voter turnout, the voting process in NA-196 Kamber-Shahdadkot district concluded peacefully on Sunday with Pakistan Peoples Party's candidate Khursheed Junejo leading in the initial vote count. This seat of the National Assembly was vacated by Pakistan Peoples Party's Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who retained his other NA constituency of Larkana.
The authorities had declared 81 of these polling stations as very sensitive and 77 as sensitive.
After the boycott of Jamaat-e-Ulema-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), whose candidate Nasir Mehmood Soomro had secured second highest votes on February 8, and other candidates, a one one one contest remained between the PPP and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. However, the TLP candidate Pir Ali could run a successful campaign and was not getting substantial in the initial count.
Bilawal had won the seat with 85,370 votes while JUI-F's Soomro was polled 34,499 votes. After the electoral defeat, the JUI-F alleged that the elections were rigged and demanded re-conduct of the entire electoral process in NA-196.
As per the unofficial, unconfirmed and progressive vote count, Junejo has been leading with 37,199 votes while the TLP candidate's 864 votes could be counted by Sunday evening. Some 423,781 people were registered to cast their votes, including 230,580 male and 193,201 female voters.
The Election Commission of Pakistan had set up 303 polling stations consisting of 933 polling booths including 500 booths for male and 433 for female voters. The authorities had declared 81 of these polling stations as very sensitive and 77 as sensitive.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2024.