Jacobabad & Kashmore-Kandhkot districts: election campaigns being run without usual fanfare

Incessant bomb blasts, killings and plunder in the cities is forcing political parties in the interior of Sindh to undertake covert election campaigns, instead of the usual fanfare and gaiety witnessed on such occasions. The fun and frolic seen among the people at the time of elections is totally missing and a festive atmosphere which brings moments of unusual activity among rural population is not there.
By all standards and calculations, if the virus of violence spreads in rural areas the voter turnout would be minimal. The rural population is docile and does not cherish any sort of disturbance in their lives. Assessing the chances of political parties and candidates in Jacobabad and Kashmore-Kandhkot districts, it is amply evident that the two districts are heavily dominated by feudal tribal influence. As such, political affiliation does not matter. Only the nominees of these feudal and tribal Sardars would carry the day. This being the situation, majority of seats, six provincial assembly and two National Assembly seats in Jacobabad and two provincial and one national seat in Kashmore are likely to fall in the lap of Peoples Party which has selected these electables as their nominees.
In the last elections, PPPP had won on all the seats in Jacobabad but has lost one provincial assembly and the only National Assembly seat in Kashmore despite the sympathy-vote which had dominated the elections following the murder of Benazir Bhutto. Jacobabad and Kashmore, two districts on the border line of Balochistan have same tribal environment like the areas of neighbouring province and the people living in these districts have same mentality of slave. A very low share of population living in cities got education other vice literacy ratio of said districts is very low than other districts of Sindh and as a result tribal lords have a stranglehold not only over the votes of people, but over their fate as well.
The tribal lords are like 'gods of their tribes', they have self-assumed the powers of writing of the presents and futures of their people that's why political party like PPPP is also bending its knees in front of feudal-lords for the seats to win the number game at national and provincial level.
The local population of Jacobabad is angry with PPPP as during the floods nor otherwise did the elected representatives of the area fulfil promises made to them during the last election campaigns. Flood-hit population is still without shelter and speaks loudly against the PPPP. They are no more the voters of the "Bhuttos" who had founded the party.
Jacobabad's situation is slightly different than Kashmore-Kandhkot district where the Soomro family is quite modern than other Sardars. This time, Illahi Bux Soomro, the former Speaker of the National Assembly, has flexed his muscles to win the seat on PML-N ticket.
Currently, on the seat of NA-208: Very interesting competition is likely between PPPP's Aijaz Hussein Jakhrani and PML-N's Illahi Bux Soormo whose election campaign is continued by former Senate Chairman Muhammadmian Soomro. Earlier, there were family disputes between Ilahi Bux Soomro (uncle) and Muhammadmian Soomro (nephew) which settled before election announcement.
Local political observers are claiming that Soomros can give "tough time" to PPPP on this constituency as they have their personal vote bank and Begum Mian Soomro, mother of Mohammad Mian Soomro, had served the local people during her tenure of District Nazima of Jacobabad. NA-209: A big but meaningful change everybody can see here that PPPP's heavyweight Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani who was elected MNA from this seat, has decided to contest election on provincial seat, instead of national seat and he got ticket of NA for his elder son Mir Shabir Khan Bijarani who remained also District Nazim of old Jacobad district comprising on Kashmore later Kashmore-Kandhkot was made separate district.
On this seat, Mir Hassan Khoso who was elected MPA during 2008, on the ticket of PPPP, is major rival of young Bijarani but now Khoso is candidate of PML-F as he had left party and joined Functional League a bout a year back. "A tough competition is also expected here as the Khosos have a big share in registered voters while the Sarkis are also supporter of Khoso candidate here, so it could be said that if anyone wins, he would get the lead of few thousand votes," local political observers said. PS-13 (Jacobabad): PPPP has changed the face here in this election as Ghulam Mohammad Shahliyani was MPA in previous setup and now Mumtaz Jakhrani is the candidate.