Rarely has a by-election turned into such a national issue. The contest for NA-246, the seat vacated by Nabeel Gabol, is taking on the contours of a referendum on the dominance that the MQM has traditionally enjoyed in this constituency.

Since 2002 at least, the margins by which the MQM candidate has won in this area had been so large, fluctuating between 30,000 and 100,000 votes, that the party’s hold on the seat seemed unchallengeable.

But now, two large parties have portrayed the dominant position of the MQM as some sort of stranglehold that the latter has on the populace, from which the contenders claim they will ‘liberate’ the people.

Read: Karachi's NA-246 by-poll: A three-way contest

Not only the strength of the challenge, but the large role that the Rangers will play in making the election happen — smoothly, it is hoped — is adding more fuel to the rhetorical fires.

With polling agents from multiple parties present in every booth, and Rangers patrolling outside and cameras installed in at least some of the polling booths, the carpet of surveillance and control being laid to monitor this election is beginning to look quite unique.

Through all this, it is crucial that the role of the Rangers remains limited to the maintenance of law and order, to prevent the intimidation of individual voters as well as safeguard the rights of the polling agents and to keep disputes amongst them from taking an untoward turn.

Their role should not grow beyond this and the conduct of the electoral process as well as the monitoring of the behaviour of polling staff must remain within the hands of the Election Commission of Pakistan and the polling agents fielded by all parties in the contest.

Also read: MQM, PTI & JI get allies in Karachi by-poll at 11th hour

This is particularly crucial since the losing party, whoever it turns out to be, is more likely to cry foul in this contest than in any other by-election since 2013.

The role played by the paramilitary force will need to be seen as completely neutral by all parties to prevent such allegations from taking root, and that will only be possible if the Rangers remain out of the actual voting process altogether.

It is no exaggeration to say that the conduct of this poll could impact all elections that come after it. If the voting goes smoothly, and no party is left with an excuse to hurl accusations, then the arrangements used to effect such a neutral and unimpeachable outcome could turn into a model for subsequent polls too.

But if allegations of foul play mar this electoral exercise like they have previously in Karachi, then the credibility of the ECP and that of the Rangers will suffer, and that could turn out to be tremendously damaging to the conduct of future polls.

Let us keep it clean please. And may the best man win.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play