BADIN: The process of recounting of votes polled in the NA-230 and PS-73 constituencies of Badin district was marred by heated arguments between the candidates concerned and their representatives at the Judicial Complex here on Sunday.

The process had started peacefully on Saturday and continued into Sunday amid a tense atmosphere as Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates and their respective representatives remained engaged in arguments.

The exchanges ended up in acrimonious scenes in the evening when GDA’s unofficially winner candidate Dr Fehmida Mirza — a former speaker of the National Assembly —- raised her strong objection to the validation of some votes in favour of her rival candidate, PPP’s Haji Rasool Bux Chandio, in the NA-230 results, according to sources privy to the recounting process.

The GDA candidate had defeated her rival by 860 votes and local PPP leaders told a press conference, held after the recounting was stalled, that 306 more votes were found in favour of Mr Chandio with the recounting of votes of just 13 polling stations having been conducted by then.

The recounting in NA-230 was ordered on an application filed by Mr Chandio against his defeat.

Dr Fehmida Mirza had challenged the victory her PPP rival Taj Mohammad Mallah in the PS-73 constituency.

On her application, a recounting of votes was being conducted at the Judicial Complex when a rumpus started.

The district returning officer (DRO) and other officials stopped the recounting process after seeking opinion of the provincial election commission in the matter. The dispute is likely to be taken to the election tribunal.

Mr Mallah had polled 37,645 votes to defeat Dr Fehmida Mirza, who had bagged 37,364 -- (by a margin of just 280 votes), according to unofficial results.

Meanwhile, PPP leaders Gul Mohammed Jakhrani, Haji Rasool Bux Chandio, Taj Mohammad Mallah, Haji Sain Bux Jamali, Sardar Kamal Khan Chang and others, speaking at the press conference alleged that Dr Zulfikar Mirza [spouse of Dr Fehmida Mirza] resorted to adopting an unruly attitude towards them during the recount.

They accused Dr Mirza of creating a scene during the process when 306 more votes were found in favour of Mr Mallah.

They claimed that the DRO had already decided to send the matter to the election tribunal for further proceeding.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2018