February 18, 2008	Monday	Safar 10, 1429

BADIN, Feb 17: The electioneering ended here on Saturday night.

Badin district comprises five talukas -- Badin (120,486 voters), Matli (138,620), Tando Bago (120,079), Golarchi (88,970), and Talhar (105,724) votes. Each taluka is a provincial seat.

NA-224 Matli consisted taluka Matli, Talhar and Tando Bago have 405,284 voters, while NA-225 Badin and Shaheed Fazil Rahu talukas have 215,648 registered voters.

The main contestants for NA-224 are Ghulam Ali Nizamani Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Ali Akbar Khan Nizamani Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML), for NA-225 Dr Fehmida Mirza (PPP), Yasmin Shah (PML), for PS-55 Mir Hassan alias Mir Babu (PPP) and Mohammad alias Dada Halepoto (PML), for PS-56 Basheer Ahmed Sirewal (PPP) and Nasir Khan Nizamani (PML), PS-57 Ali Bux Shah alias Pappu Shah (PML) and Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza (PPP), PS-58 Dr Sikandar Ali Mandhro (PPP) and Sain Bux Jamali (PML), and for PS-59 Mohammad Ismail Rahu (PML) and Ali Nawaz Chandio (PPP).

The assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto has increased people’s sympathy for PPP candidates, leaving no charm for its rivals to continue election campaign.

However, the PML candidates, Mohammad Ismail Rahu and Syed Ali Bux Shah, were contesting for PS-59 and PS-57 seats.

Some veteran politicians opined that there was no contest in the district as sympathies for PPP had increased which might sweep the elections.

However, all eyes are set on two provincial seats where PPP candidates Ali Nawaz Chandio and Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza are contesting.

Dr Mirza claimed that he would win if fair and free elections were held in his constituency as he was facing no tough contest.

A number of polling stations in the district have been declared sensitive.

Due to fear and tense situation candidates find it difficult to appoint their polling agents, particularly female agents at polling stations.