Re-polls continue: ASWJ confident of catching up to MQM in race for PS-128

Around 9,547 registered voters to cast their vote at six polling stations on June 8.

KARACHI:

The bomb blast on May 11 in Landhi, targeting Awami National Party’s candidate Amanullah Mehsud, left out 9,547 registered voters from the electoral process. On June 8, the Election Commission of Pakistan will offer them one more chance to elect the representative of PS-128.

The re-polls could tip the scales either in favour of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement or Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (MDM) as the premature results show the former’s Waqar Hussain Shah in the lead with 23,496 votes while the latter’s Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat is behind with only 2,164 votes.

Out of 72 polling stations, the re-elections will take place only at the six stations affected by the blast on the day of elections which killed 12 people and left 30 injured. The regional election commissioner, Tanveer Zaki, said that the security arrangements for the re-polls on June 8 will be finalised soon.

According to the ECP’s polling scheme, the six polling stations - 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 - will have 24 polling booths. The stations cover the areas of Razi Market, Bismillah Colony, Tauheedabad, Dawood Chali and Firdous Chali of Landhi.



Most of the areas are Pashtun-dominated and according to the residents, ANP has a strong vote bank. The results from May 11, however, show that ANP’s candidate secured only 3,108 votes - leaving the MQM and MDM to lead the field.

Confident early winners

The frontrunner for PS-128 is confident that his winning streak will continue even after June 8. “We have already won the seat but our opponents have pressured the ECP to conduct re-elections in the six polling stations,” said Shah. “Residents of the areas are with MQM as they need development projects. MQM, through its strong presence in the Sindh Assembly, is in a good position to work for the development of the deprived population of the constituency.”

The MQM candidate added that while he and his party activists were ready for the re-polls, they found it to be unjust as 24 per cent turnout was observed at these six polling stations on May 11. “We are in contact with the residents for votes and will emerge as winners.”

Catching up quickly

Meanwhile, the activists of ASWJ were sure that the re-polls on June 8 would provide Farooqui the upper hand to beat MQM. Farooqui, who is the ASWJ Karachi chief, is a resident of Landhi and reportedly enjoys the support of the Pashtu-speaking people and those from Hazara. According to the ASWJ spokesperson, the bomb blast on May 11 affected their votes which they expected to be over 40,000. “More than half of our voters returned to their homes without casting their votes,” said Maulana Akber Saeed, the spokesperson of ASWJ Karachi. He added that their party had already appealed for tight security arrangements in the constituency as their candidates were attacked a day before the elections.

“Activists of ASWJ who live in the area are in contact with people for votes and we hope that we will win the seat,” said Saeed. ASWJ, which contested elections from MDM’s platform, has not secured any seat in the elections as yet.

ANP might be falling behind but could still manage to damage MDM’s votes. “ANP can put Farooqui’s victory in jeopardy because all the six polling stations fall in its stronghold,” Yasir Kundi, a resident of PS-128, told The Express Tribune.



Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2013.