KARACHI - Metropolitan voters remain standstill as political parties are gearing up election campaigns to attract them.
The metropolitan city had considered a stronghold of a party over last three decades. In Karachi, and other urban pockets of province where MQM ruled in last thirty years people used to vote ‘kite’ not even know the candidate names. Other party’s election symbols were hardly seen in the city except in the outskirts. The election symbols of MQM were considered the slogan of Urdu speaking voters of Karachi.
Karachi operation began on September 5, 2013 and changed political scenario entirely and decades old urban ruling elite MQM lost its dominance. Political analysts believed that MQM split scattered the mandate of the city. Its widely believed that no political party would get the votes even five digits in a city where massive turnout have had witnessed as compare to rest of the country in previous general elections.
The by-election of NA 246 witnessed a massive turn out despite an extreme vigilance. Sources privy to the matter revealed that the both factions of MQM Pakistan preferred to avoid contest in the upcoming general elections.
MQM founder Altaf Hussain already announced the boycott of the election. Sources pointed out MQM that hold the stake of the urban region of Sindh unable to cope up the defeat or any seat adjustment in the upcoming elections. And it’s widely believed all MQM factions would distance from the elections to avoid becoming the part of divided mandate of the city.
Whereas, Pak Sarzameen Party appeared as replacement of the MQM have started election campaign across the city, open dozens of party offices, hoisting party flags and also placing party election symbols throughout the city. PSP working witnessing in the areas previously considered the stronghold areas of MQM.
All political parties including MQM Pakistan trying to demonstrate a massive power show but the enthusiasm Karachi witnessed in last decades yet to be reflected in any political gatherings.
The last gathering organised by PTI in RCD ground Malir, PTI Chief Imran Khan get back to home without even attending the gathering because of the lesser number of presence of PTI supporters. Interestingly, a large number of participants were chanting slogans in favor of the MQM Chief Altaf Hussain at RCD ground just before the Khan’s arrival.
Similarly, PSP leadership faced the same as matter of routine in various areas of the city where people chanting slogans in favour of the MQM and not even allow the PSP leadership to deliver speech. PSP managed to capture the cream of MQM party organizational structure and believed clean swipe in urban areas of the city. PTI was runner up in previous elections on 2013, appeared a strong political substitute particularly in posh areas and the areas based upon multiethnic population. The areas where PTI believed to have vote bank include Defence, Clifton, Bahadurabad, Gulshan e Iqbal, F B Area. PTI has unfold the names of few candidates names for 44 provincial and 21 national assembly constituencies while the search for the other candidates has been continue. The process to nominate the candidates has been continue in all the parties and scrutiny for the parry tickets distributions has also in progress. Sources privy to the matter revealed that political parities claims to capture the city mandate not even have suitable candidates to filed for the polls.
Furthermore, PPP the party ruled in the province consecutively for last ten years have also eyed to get maximum share from the urban Sindh where MQM had had ruled. PPP also trying to win the constituencies where PPP voters existing in shape of Goth and Katchi Abadies and where PPP candidates secured impressive numbers of votes against the MQM candidates.
The areas where PPP working hard to get desired results include the parts of District Malir, Lyari and adjacent localities, Shah Latif town.
Moreover, MQM Haqqiqi, considered a party having strong party structure in some ares of the city including District Korangi, Lines Area, some parts of Liaquatabad and Nazimabad. Haqqiqi last few gatherings witnessing an alarming change as massive number of crowed attended the programs. Jamat e Islami or MMA believed to have vote bank in the outskirts of the city including the pashtoon dominated areas including parts of district West, parts of Landi, Quaidabad, Shereen Jinnah Colony.
It is worth mentioning here that apparently political parties have fail to attract the voters of the urban Sindh for the elections would be held on July 25, and results of the elections would not much different from the local bodies elections held in 2001 when MQM boycotted and parities were getting extreme lesser number of votes to win the elections.