SANGHAR, June 24: The contest for the PS-81 by-election is moving ahead to a nail-biting finish as rival candidates, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s Jam Madad Ali and Pakistan Peoples Party’s Asghar Ali Junaid Junejo, appear to be on an even keel.

The Election Commission of Pakistan announced the by-election for the seat to be held on June 26 after the winning candidate, the PPP’s Mohammad Khan Junejo, was disqualified for holding a fake degree.

The PPP fielded his son, Asghar Ali Junaid Junejo, as the father’s replacement.

Jam Madad Ali, a veteran PML-F leader and former leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly, had won the seat in the 2002 and 2008 elections with a large margin but failed to maintain his winning streak in the 2013 polls as Mr Junejo snatched victory from him.

Mohammad Khan Junejo who commanded great respect and influence in the area because of his illustrious father the late Shahnawaz Junejo was persuaded by the PPP to run for PS-81 (Jam Nawaz Ali taluka) to give a tough time to Jam Madad Ali in his home town, Jam Nawaz Ali taluka.

The PPP’s strategy succeeded and Jam Madad Ali lost his traditional seat.

Residents of Jam Nawaz Ali believe the major reason for his shock defeat was his ‘taken-for-granted’ attitude towards voters. The gulf between him and voters played a great role in the unexpected victory to the PPP, they said.

Some disgruntled voters complained that Mr Ali had failed to carry out any significant development work in the area.

Civic infrastructure and all main and link roads in Jam Nawaz Ali town were in a shambles, they said.

They said that former chief minister the late Jam Sadiq Ali had granted his native village, Jam Nawaz Ali, the status of a taluka and had necessary infrastructure built but little had been done since then to develop the town and provide necessary facilities to people.

They said there was no taluka hospital and no high school for girls in the taluka and unemployment was high in the town.

An elder of Mir Hassan Khaskheli village said that they had always voted the Jam family but now they would vote for the candidate backed by Shazia Marri because she had helped them during the 2011 torrential rains and flood.

Ms Marri, who belongs to another politically influential family of the taluka, has of late developed a close liaison with the electorate which has brightened chances of the PPP winning over a good number of voters.

Mr Ali appears to have learned a lesson from the recent defeat and become overcautious. He has made frenetic efforts to win back disgruntled voters and notables of the area and reportedly succeeded in regaining support of his estranged cousin Jam Mashooque Ali, former federal minister and son of the late Jam Sadiq Ali, who had stayed away from the May 11 election.

The Junejo family has adopted innovative ways to reach out to the electorate and convince them to vote for their candidate Asghar Ali Junaid Junejo in the by-election.

Sources in the town said that in an effort to portray themselves as people’s men they were seen riding motorcycles till late into night during a door-to-door campaign.

Personal connections and influence apart, both candidates have a large support base in the constituency. Mr Ali enjoys support of the Hur Jamaat, which has a considerable presence in the area while Mr Junejo has also a large vote bank. The contest, therefore, is bound to have a close finish.

A total of 122 polling stations have been set up and according to SSP Muneer Khuhro no polling station has so far been declared sensitive.