Shaheed Benazirabad Division: Election 2018 overview

NAWABSHAH: Shaheed Benazirabad is the central division of Sindh, comprising Naushehro Feroz, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar districts. It has seven national and 14 provincial assembly seats. Former president Asif Zardari, his sister Azra Fazal Pechuho, ex-ministers Zafar Ali Shah, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, SUP vice Chairman Zain Shah and Shazia Atta Mari are some prominent names contesting from this division.

Naushehro Feroz District 

The district has lost one provincial assembly seat due to the recent delimitation. The PPP’s has fielded a new candidate Abrar Ali Shah for NA 211 Naushehro Feroz-I against GDA’s Zafar Ali Shah and others. In total 25 candidates are in the race but the actual contest is likely between PPP and the GDA candidates.

PS 33 Naushehro Feroz-I falls in NA 211 where although a contest is expected between PPP’s Sarfraz Hussain Shah, PML-N’s Aftab Hussain Shah and GDA’s Masood Khushik, who parted ways with PPP over denial of ticket. The PML-N has a good number of votes in this constituency, mainly of the settlers in Mehrab Pur where it won the municipality elections.

PS 34 Naushehro Feroz-II This is another constituency that falls in NA 211. The PPP’s Murad Ali Shah is running against 18 candidates including PML-N’s Fiaz Hussain Lakho and GDA’s Abdul Sattar Rajpar who quit the PPP over denial of ticket. Murad Shah is a veteran from this constituency and has an edge over others.

NA 212 Naushehro Feroz-II is another national assembly constituency of the district where 14 candidates are in the run but the actual contest is expected between PPP’s Zulfiqar Behan and GDA’s ex-federal minister Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi. Being his home constituency Jatoi has an edge over rivals.

PS 35 Naushehro Feroz-III This has 26 candidates in the field including GDA’s Razi Khan Jatoi, PPP’s Mumtaz Chandio and an Independent Abdul Haq Bhurt. This constituency falls under NA 212. Despite the visit of Asif Zardari, Abdul Haq Bhurt appears a strong contender which may damage the PPP chances of victory and this may tilt in favour of the GDA candidate.

PS 36 Naushehro Feroz-IV is another constituency under NA 212. As many as 15 candidates are trying their luck on this PA seat contested by Shahnawaz Jatoi of PTI, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar of PPP and Arif Mustafa Jatoi of GDA.

Shaheed Benazirabad Division

NA 213 Shaheed Benazirabad-I. Like Shikarpur and Naushehro Feroz this district also lost one PA seat due to the recent delimitation. The former President Asif Ali Zardari, GDA’s Sher Mohammad Rind, MQM’s Rauf Siddiqui, PSP’s Kazim Ali Shah, PTI’s Farooq Ahmed and nationalist leader Qadir Magsi are among the 17 candidates contesting on the NA 213 Shaheed Benazirabad-I. Asif Zardari is predicted to be the winner here.

PS 37 Shaheed Benazirabad-I Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho of PPP, Bagh Ali Shah of GDA, Imran Ayub of PTI, Abdul Hafeez of PTI are among 18 candidates in the race for PS 37 Shaheed Benazirabad-I that falls under NA 213, comprising mainly Taluka Daur. Here Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho is clearly a favourite.

PS 38 Shaheed Benazirabad-II, comprises Nawabshah Taluka where 25 candidates are in the race including the main contestants Tariq Masood Arain of PPP, Zahid Hussain Shah of GDA, Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah of PMLN, Inayat Rind of PTI and Naeem Akhtar of MQM. Tariq Masood of PPP may have an easy sail on this seat as the rival party MQM is in total disarray.

NA 214 Shaheed Benazirabad-II is another national assembly seat of the district. Here PPP’s Ghulam Mustafa Shah, SUP’s Syed Zainul Abideen Shah, PTI’s Gul Mohammad Rind and PML-N’s Mukhtiar Naz are the main contenders on this seat comprising Sakrand and Qazi Ahmed talukas of the district. The GDA is supporting the SUP candidate who is main rival to PPP’s Ghulam Mustafa Shah. Shah had won from this seat by bagging more than 100,000 votes in 2013.

PS 39 Shaheed Benazirabad-III, falls under NA 214, comprising Sakrand Taluka. In total 15 candidates are contesting, but the close fight is expected between PPP’s Ghulam Qadir Chandio, PTI’s Ghulam Rasool Unar SUP’s Zain Shah, who is the grandson of G.M. Syed. Chandio had won the seat in 2013 by bagging more than 41,000 votes while his close rival Zain Shah bagged over 32,000.

PS 40 Shaheed Benazirabad-IV also falls under NA 214, comprising Qazi Ahmed Taluka. The PPP’s Khan Mohammad Dahri, GDA’s Asif Ali Shah are the main contestants among 17 candidates. The cousin of the PPP candidate

Dr Bahadur Dahri won this seat in 2013 by a margin of more than 50,000 votes against his close rival.

Sanghar District

NA 215 Sanghar-I comprises some areas of Sanghar, Sijhoro and Shahdad Pur talukas of the district. Haji Khuda Bux Rajar of GDA, Mohammad Ishaque of PML-N and Naveed Dero of PPP are the main contenders on this seat with odds favouring the GDA’s candidate.

PS 42 Sanghar-I falls under NA 215, comprising Sanghar Taluka. Ali Ghulam Nizamani of GDA, Mashooq Chandio of PPP, Maqsooda Bibi of PML N and Nasrullah of PTI are the main contenders for this seat. Odds are favouring Ali Ghulam Nizamani of GDA.

PS 46 Sanghar-VI is another constituency falling in NA 215, comprising Sinjhoro Taluka. The GDA’s Waryam Faqeer and PPP’s Rana Abdul Sattar are the main contestants on this constituency. If past is a testimony then GDA candidate is favourite to return on this seat.

NA 216 Sanghar-II comprises Khipro, Jam Nawaz Ali and some areas of Sinjhoro Talukas of Distt Sanghar. The PPP’s Shazia Atta Mari, who won this seat in bye-elections after 2103 general election, is in the run against GDA’s Kishanchand Parwani and few other candidates. An interesting contest is expected here between Ms Marri and Parwani. PS 42 Sanghar-I, comprising Taluka Khipro falls under NA 216. The PPP’s Ali Hassan Higoro and GDA’s Qazi Shamsuddin are among the nine candidates vying for this seat. The GDA candidate is a clear favourite here.

PS 43 Sanghar-III also falls under NA 216. Two cousins PPP’s Jam Madad Ali and GDA’s Jam Zulfiqar Ali, son of ex-CM Jam Sadiq Ali are the main contestants on this seat prepared for a neck and neck contest.

NA 217 Sanghar-III comprising Tando Adam and some areas of Shahdadpur Taluka of District Sanghar. Here the PPP’s Roshanuddin Junejo, who won seat in 2013 by securing more than 100,000 votes, is in the run against GDA’s Mahi Khan and 12 other candidates. Here Junejo seems set to sail easily.

PS 44-Sanghar-IV falls under NA 217 comprising Tando Adam taluka. Here PPP’s Faraz Dero is contesting against 20 candidates including GDA’s Niaz Hussain, MQM-P’s Fareed Nawaz and folk singer Deeba Sahar. Keeping past results in mind the PPP’s Faraz Dero has brighter chances.

PS 45 Sanghar-V is another PA seat falling under NA 217. Here the PPP’s Shahid Thaheem is contesting against GDA’s Mohammad Bux and few other candidates. Here Thaheem is a clearly a favourite candidate.

Originally published in The News