KARACHI, Dec 20: The constituency NA-252 dominated by the mercantile class is actually a blend of the upper, middle and the lower-middle classes.

In the Oct 2002 elections, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) candidate, Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, who belongs to the Jamaat-i-Islami, emerged victorious from this constituency with 33,089 votes while his closest rival Mohammad Intizar Hussain Qureshi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) managed to secure 22,862 votes.

In the constituency, where there were 15 candidates in the run, out of the total 222,482 registered voters, the turn out remained 33.3 per cent ie 74,019 electorates. However, in the coming elections scheduled for Jan 8, 2008, the number of registered voters is 278,643 including 126,456 females.

Keeping in view the last experience, when most of the votes were divided among the two mainstream parties of the metropolis, the MQM and the MMA, independent candidates and smaller parties have refrained from contesting the polls and currently only six candidates are in the run.

Since the JI has opted to boycott the polls and withdrawn from the alliance of religious parties MMA competition is expected between Abdul Rasheed Godil of the MQM and Syed Asghar Hussain of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). The other candidate who can make a difference is Hidayatur Rehman of the MMA.

The other three in the field are Mohammad Yusuf Qureshy (Pakistan Ittehad Tehreek), Abdul Hameed Qureshi and Wajid Nazeer, both independent candidates.

It seems that none of the candidates have really started flexing their muscles for the polls as the usual hustle and bustle associated with an election is nowhere to be seen expect for a few places where flags of the MQM and the PPP are indicating to some extent that a major national event is about to take place.

While talking to this writer, an area resident Attaullah Khan, who is a government servant, said that the major reason for this lack of electioneering was the uncertainty about the holding of the polls. That was why neither any party nor the independent candidates had felt the need to spend money on preparing banners and posters, he said.

However, now when six out of the seven phases of the election process had been completed and only the final phase of polling was left, mainstream political parties had started putting up banners and party flags, he added.

A labourer, Arshad, who lives in Essa Nagri said that the voters turnout in upcoming elections would be far lower than the last ones as so far candidates had not reached the backwater localities to muster their support.

A shopkeeper in Bahadurabad, who wished not to be named, said that the masses were no longer interested in the election due to the poor performance and corrupt practices of the ‘people’s representatives’ and government functionaries.

He also deplored the sky-rocketing prices of daily-use commodities like flour, pulses, vegetables, oil and sugar etc.

The constituency comprises Khudadad Colony, PECHS, Hyderabad Colony, Muslimabad, Fatima Jinnah Colony, Amynabad, Nafeesabad, PIB Colony, Clayton Quarters, Jamshed Quarters, Jehangir Road, Martin Quarters, Usmania Mohajir Colony, Jail Quarters, Ghousia Colony, Sabzi Mandi, Brohi Goth, Essa Nagri, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Blocks 12 and 14, Baloch Para, Al-Hilal Society, Overseas Cooperative Society, Kachchi Memon and Hussainia societies, Bahadurabad, Sharfabad, Al-Hamra Society, Bangalore Town, Delhi Mercantile, Kokan Society, Faran Society, CP Barar, Dhoraji, Mohammad Ali Society, etc.