HYDERABAD: The Returning Officers have allotted the election symbols to the contestants running for the 3 seats of the National Assembly and 6 of the Sindh Assembly in Hyderabad.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have emerged as the only 2 parties whose candidates have been fielded in every single constituency.
In addition to a large number of independent candidates, the contestants from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP), Jamiat-e-Ulema-Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-N), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Awami National Party (ANP), among others, are also taking part.
The constituency of NA-218, based in Qasimabad and Hyderabad talukas, would witness a contest among Syed Hussain Tariq Shah Jamote of PPP, Naseem Akhtar of MQM-P, Zubair Khadim of JIP, Muhammad Umar of TLP and Muhammad Rizwan Shaikh of JUP-N besides 5 independent candidates.
A total of 40 candidates, among whom only 9 possess tickets of the parties, have landed in the electoral fray in NA-219 in Latifabad talula.
They include Abdul Aleem Khanzada of MQM-P, Ali Muhammad Sahito of PPP, Meraj-ul-Huda Siddiqui of JIP, Muhammad Irfan Qureshi of TLP, Husnain Rashid of PML-N and Mahmood Ahmed Qadri of JUP-N.
Likewise, Syed Waseem Hussain of MQM-P, Waseem Khan Rajput of PPP, Abdul Khair Muhammad Zubair of JUP-N, Ghulam Qadir of TLP, Tahir Majeed of JIP and Khalid Aziz of PML-N are among 36 candidates, including 26 independent ones, fighting for NA-220 in City taluka.
The Qasimabad taluka based PS-60, where 24 candidates including 16 independent ones are running, is likely to once again see a one on one contest between Jam Khan Shoro of PPP and Ayaz Latif Palijo of GDA.
Although Waseem Ahmed of TLP, Mehboob Ali Mahesar of JIP and Sajid Ali Marri of MQM-P are also taking part.
Sharjeel Inam Memon of PPP is set to defend his previous victories in PS-61 in Hyderabad taluka where a total of 6 party affiliated and 16 independent candidates are trying to get elected to the provincial assembly.
MQM-P’s Rao Iftikhar Rajput, Waqas Shoban of TLP and Fateh Muhammad Shoro of JIP are some other prominent hopefuls.
In another interesting contest between the candidates of the PPP and MQM-P, the former’s Abdul Jabbar Khan will defend his and his party’s maiden victory from Latifabad on PS-62, a constituency which in all previous elections elected MQM-P’s candidates.
Former MNA Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani of MQM-P. Muhammad Naveed of TLP. Syed Muhammad Hassan of JUP-N. Syed Ali Raza Shah of GDA. Khalid Aziz of PML-N and Hashim Khan of ANP are among a total of 41 candidates running for that seat.
Kamran Shafique of MQM-P, Sanam Talpur of PPP, Zaman Ahmed Khan of TLP, Afaq Nasar of JIP and Mir Yasir Talpur of PML-N are among 41 candidates contending for PS-63 seat, which is also based in Latifabad.
For the City taluka based PS-64 and PS-65 seats, one to one electoral clashes are set to occur between MQM-P and PPP. Muhammad Rashid Khan of MQM-P, Mukhtiar Ahmed alias Aajiz Dhamrah of PPP, Zaheeruddin Shaikh of JIP, Salahuddin of TLP and Rashid Hameed of PML-N are running from PS-64 and former MPA Nasir Hussain Qureshi of MQM-P, Muhammad Fareed Qureshi of PPP, Muhammad Amjad of TLP and Faiz Muhammad Arain of PML-N from PS-65.
In the former constituency some 45 contestants having 38 independent ones among them are running for the seat and in the latter 42 contestants with 32 independent candidates have landed in the electoral fray.
Although the last date for withdrawing from the contest has passed, it is expected that a good number of participants will retire before the election day on February 8.