SUKKUR, Oct 8: The hectic activity was seen in Sukkur during the past 24 hours prior to the end of the election campaign on midnight of Tuesday.

The main contenders from this city — Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah (PPP), Haji Abdul Qadir Ghumro (PML-F), Maulana Mohammad Asad Thanvi (Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal) and Rais Abdul Razzaq Khoso (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) — used the last hours for cashing in on the campaign.

The constituency’s delimitation may pose some difficulties for the PPP’s Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah as the majority of the voters — unlike the previous polls, when the constituency included rural areas — now belong to the urban areas of Sukkur and Rohri.

However, the Muttahida’s decision to not withdraw its candidate from NA-198 in favour of the PML-F candidate may benefit the PPP candidate.

It appears that Ghumro would now be deprived of the votes of the Khosos leaving Shah’s vote bank intact.

The oratory skills of the MMA candidate, Maulana Asad Thanvi, may help him capture the votes of the religious-minded people supporting the six-party alliance.

He addressed large public meetings at Station Road and Memon Mohalla, previously thought to be the PPP strongholds, and accused both the PPP and the PML leaders of looting national resources.

The only thing in common in the election campaigns of the candidates of the PML-F, the MMA and the Muttahida appears to be mudslinging at the PPP and its candidate.

The participants of the Muttahida’s public meeting had to wait till late night to hear their party chief’s address.

Workers of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) also participated in the meeting.

The PML-N appeared to have reached an electoral adjustment with the PML-F here as their provincial assembly candidates, Altaf Hussain Mughal from PS-1 and Pir Ali Shah from PS-2, are running simultaneous campaigns with the PML-F candidate Abdul Qadir Ghumro.

Dr Nasrullah Baloch of the PPP may face a tough time against the Muttahida’s Mehmood Khan Yousfi as the latter is likely to secure the urban votes.

However, the PML-N, the PML-F and the PML-Q and other political groups have no mentionable support on this seat.

The PPP candidate from PS-2, Anwer Maher, may have an easy time after being supported by Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah.

Rallies were taken out by the PPP, the PML-N and the PML-F on the second last and the last day of the election campaign but the people said that the PPP had taken out the largest of the rallies, which comprised of at least 100 vehicles.

The rally passed through major roads of the city and terminated at the Barrage Road.

The PPP’s public meeting was to be addressed by Makhdoom Amin Fahim but he had to abandon his programme because of urgent engagements in Islamabad.

The address of the party chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, was also cancelled.

She was to speak simultaneously on telephone from London to participants in Lahore and Sukkur but the Sukkur programme was cancelled.

Benazir’s address could have improved the prospects for the local PPP candidates.