HYDERABAD: As many as 55 candidates are in the fray for 11 seats in local government by-election in Hyderabad district scheduled for May 7.

LG elections in the district were held on Jan 15 in which Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had had a thumping majority on 160 directly contested seats of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation ((HMC) after Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had boycotted polls over flawed delimitations.

A total of 14 seats were lying vacant in the district but forms were filed for 11 seats, including five seats of chairmen/vice chairmen and six seats of general councillors. One candidate was declared winner unopposed but two seats still remained vacant.

List of final candidates had been issued for the May 7 by-polls, according to which three panels were in the fray for chairmen/vice chairmen of UC-4, three panels were fighting it out for chairman/vice chairman seats of Neerunkot Town and as many panels were contesting chairman/vice chairman of UC-18.

In Shah Latifabad Town, eight candidates would face each other for the seats of UC-18 chairman/vice chairman and nine were in the race for UC-19 chairman/vice chairman. In UC-137 of Shah Latifabad Town, three panels were in the fray.

Several candidates were in the race for general councillor seat of ward-1 and ward-3 in UC-94 of Latifabad Town, ward-4 of UC-119 of Shah Latifabad Town, ward-4 of UC-58 of Tandojam Town and ward-2 of UC-30 of Mian Sarfaraz Town.

According to district election commissioner, Yusuf Majidano, no candidate filed papers for ward-1 and 2 in UC-62 of Tandojam thus the seats remained vacant.

A PPP candidate had returned unopposed on ward-4 of UC-18 in Neroonkot Town.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2023