Total of 4,988 candidates for LB polls in southern districts

The situation has turned interesting in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts ahead of the local bodies’ elections as around 4,988 candidates have submitted their forms to contest elections for the general seats, chairmanship, and the seats of vice-chairman of as many as 147 wards and 145 UCs of three major districts of Sindh’s Larr belt, Minute Mirror learnt on Thursday.

According to research conducted by this correspondent, around 90 candidates would lock horns on nine wards of Thatta Municipal Committee, however 56 candidates would be competing in seven wards of Makli, followed by 88 candidates for eight wards of Gharo town committee, 31 candidates for three wards of town committee Mirpur Sakro, 17 candidates for two wards of Ghorabari, and 21 candidates for three wards Gaaro town committee.

On the other hand 1,302 candidates including 266 UC chairmen, 202 for the position of vice-chairman would be contesting elections on 836 general seats of 40 union councils. As per the announcement made by the election commission elections in these districts would be held on July 24. Electioneering has also gained momentum in the Sujawal district which was administratively separated from Thatta in 2013 as people hailing from different walks of life are keenly taking part in the local body elections in the district with the motive to serve the poor masses.

In Sujawal, there are five town committees and for 11 wards of Sujawal town committee, four wards of Mirpurbathooro town committee, seven wards of town committee Chuhar Jamali, five wards of town committee Darro, four wards of town committee Jati along with 660 general seats of district council there would be 1,005 candidates in total including 170 for the position of chairman of the district council and 179 for the seat of vice-chairman.

The election commission has appointed a district returning officer, 10 returning officers and 20 assistant returning officers for district Thatta along with one DRO, 9 ROs and 18 AROs for district Sujawal. While talking to Minute Mirror, the election commissioner for three districts, Abdul Rahman Arian, said that the first phase of form submission had been completed in all three districts while the second phase of rectifying the documents was underway.

He further said that centers have been installed to address the grievances of local voters and held that fair and transparent electioneering was his priority. Candidates affiliated with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT), and independents are getting ready in both the districts for the grand contest. According to the opinion of local political analysts for the first time, all major political forces of the two districts – Thatta and Sujawal – were in PPP and it has put the party in the driving seat for LB polls.

Some 521,347 voters, including 287,767 male voters and 233,580 female voters, will exercise their constitutional right of voting in district Thatta. Meanwhile 424,102 voters, comprising 234,765 male voters and 189,337 female voters would exercise their right of voting in district Sujawal. The common folk of both districts have pinned their hopes on these candidates with the hope of some relief in this epoch of crisis.