Matiari is one of the strongholds of the Pakistan Peoples Party where the Makhdooms have dominated the political scene for decades and had what was considered an unassailable position before the 2013 general election. In the event, they had to work hard to snatch victory from a Pakistan Muslim League-Functional-led alliance.

The alliance will again try its luck in the local government election which the PPP appears poised to win. The party had lost LG polls to the PML-F in the party-less election in 2005.

The alliance, made up of influential communities of the Memons, Syeds, Nizamanis and Rahus, made its presence felt when it joined hands with the PML-F.

Thanks to influential Ali Ahmed Nizamani, who is counted among close family friends of the elder Makhdoom; Rais Nazir Rahu, Asif Ali Zardari’s personal friend, and PML-F’s Jamotes who were the main driving force behind the alliance, the Makhdooms who had developed a habit of taking electoral victories for granted had to use a lot of effort to win last elections.

Besides 30 union councils of Matiari district council, there is one municipal committee for Hala with 16 wards and six town committees — Hala old (three wards), Saeedabad (six wards), Bhitshah (seven wards), Oderolal Station (three wards), Matiari (seven wards) and Khyber (three wards) — where the stage is set for interesting contests among 730 candidates on Nov 19.

Three district council members have returned unopposed including PML-F’s Naveed Hyder Shah from Baudero UC; Gulzar Ahmed of PPP from UC-27 Sikandarabad and PPP’s Mumtaz Rahu from Shahmir Rahu UC. In fact, all PPP candidates have been elected unopposed in the UC.

The LG elections are a test for the alliance itself which witnessed somewhat early fissures within its ranks after 2013 elections. Abdul Razzaq Memon, Nawabs of Tajpur and Javed Akhund are no more part of the alliance. But Jamote insists the alliance is intact.

Razzaq Memon has fielded his son, Abdul Nasir in Matiari-I UC for the office of chairman. He believes that Jamotes are egoistic. “We didn’t leave them but they have parted ways with us,” he said.

“We and the PPP will win an equal number of district council seats while the contest will be on the remaining six seats,” said elderly Ali Ahmed Nizamani but Jamote, who spearheaded the alliance, asserted: “The alliance will perform better than what it did in 2013 polls”.

Nizamani sees tough contest in Odero Lal, Matiari and Hala Old town committees with PPP having edge in Khyber town committee. “The alliance’s position has improved in Hala municipal committee with brighter prospects in Bhitshah town committee,” he said.

The alliance leaders are trying to settle things in Saeedabad town committee where PML-F’s Inam Rashdi and Bachal Shah stick to their guns over nominations. Among local heavyweights, Nooral Nizamani, son of Ali Ahmed Nizamani, Fawad Shah, cousin of Mohammad Ali, Naveed Hyder Shah and Khalid Memon are potential candidates within the alliance for the office of chairman.

Things apparently look normal in PPP’s camp. With elderly Makhdoom critically ill, his younger brother Makhdoom Rafikkuzzaman is taking care of electioneering. Rafik’s son Makhdoom Fakhar Zaman is a candidate for district council seat from Ujjan Shah UC while PPP district president Ameer Ali Shah Hashmi is contesting for district council seat from Matiari-I UC and Jalal Shah is contesting from Sher Mohammad Thora UC.

“The party gave 90 per cent of tickets to those recommended by Makhdoom Rafik in 29 UCs out of 30. Yet, it will miss numerical strength required to grab the office of chairman,” he claimed.

He said: “There will be a contest in Old Hala and Oderolal town committees but PPP has an easy sailing in the town committees of Khyber, Matiari and Bhitshah”.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2015