SANGHAR, Feb 10: After the Chehlum of Ms Benazir Bhutto, contestants here have resumed campaign for the Feb 18 general elections.

In 1970 Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had swept the elections in West Pakistan but his People’s Party was defeated in Sanghar and Atta Mohammad Mari of Pakistan Muslim League (supported by Pir Pagaro) had won the NA seat.

But this time the that of Ms Bhutto may produce a different result and many fence sitters may join the PPP bandwagon.

According to the 2002 census, there are 1,485,028 voters out of whom 762,302 are male. There are 55 union councils and six talukas — Sanghar, Sinjhoro, Khipro, Jam Nawaz Ali, Tando Adam and Shahdadpur.

The elections will be for three national and six provincial assembly seats.

A few times since 1988, the PPP has won in Tando Adam and Shahdadpur.

In NA-234 Sanghar-Sinjhoro, Jadam Mangrio (PML-F) is battling against Gul Junejo of PPP. His father Shah Nawaz Junejo had defeated former prime minister Mohammad Khan Junejo in 1988 elections.

In this constituency, settlers hold the balance. There are some 81 Chaks (villages) in taluka Sanghar and Sinjhoro. Some of the settlers came here as early as 1895, 1933 when the Sukkur barrage was commissioned and majority of them in 1940-1947 during the Hur movement.

Sooriah Badshah (father of Pir Pagaro) had started the war in 1933-43 against the British colonial forces.

In 2002 elections, settlers had voted for Pagaro’s candidate.

NA-235-Khipro-Jam Nawaz Ali, Ghulam Dastagir Rajar alias Nano (PML-F) is pitched against Sarfaraz Rajar (PPP). Mr Nano is a nephew of sitting district nazim Haji Khuda Bux Rajar. Mr Nano is feeling comfortable because Hurs are in a majority in Khipro.

At NA-236 Tando-Adam-Shahdadpur, Jam Mashooq Ali (PML-F), son of once strongman of Sindh, late Jam Sadiq Ali, is fighting Roshan Din Junejo (PPP), son of Shah Nawaz Junejo. In 1990, 1993, 1997, Jam Mashooq had won the NA election and defeated Shah Nawaz Junejo and Fida Hussain Dero. Mr Jam is an absentee landlord and has appeared in the constituency for 2008 elections after remaining away for almost eleven years.