SANGHAR, May 10: Some 240 polling stations have been established in Tando Adam and Shahdadpur talukas for the by- election on NA-236 (Sanghar-III) to be held on May 12. About 82 polling stations have been declared sensitive out of which 35 are said to be highly sensitive in Tando Adam taluka.

The election for the National Assembly seat will be held under Rangers supervision. The election commission has dispatched ballet boxes and other relevant material except ballet papers to polling stations.

The ballot papers will be handed over to the polling staff when they will be proceeding towards their assigned polling stations. The local administration has made transport arrangements for shifting the election staff and materials to polling stations.

The main contestants for the seat are Liaquat Ali Marri, supported by the People's Party Parliamentarians and Pakistan Muslim League (F) and Dr Ayub Shaikh of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

This is the first time that the PPP and PML (F) have formally joined hands in the district. Former MNA and Senator Shahnawaz Junejo, who had helped the PML (F) in the last national and Sindh assembly elections, has announced that he will not support nor oppose any candidate.

Mr Junejo directed his supporters to act as they wish. However, after no-trust resolution against his son a majority of his friends and like-minded have joined the MQM.

MQM candidate Dr Ayub Shaikh has accused DPO Fateh Shir Joyo of supporting the PML (F) candidate. Mr Shaikh alleged that a massive rigging had been planned in rural areas and the DPO had became a tool to do so.

The same accusation were also levelled by Sindh health minister Naeem Ishtiaq at a press conference on Sunday in the Tando Adam press club. The MQM candidate demanded that Rangers and Army should be deployed to hold fare and free election.

When asked about the alleged rigging plan in rural polling stations, Hussain Bux Khaskheli and Anwar Ali Marri of the PML (F) and local PPP leaders said that it was the MQM strategy to cry wolf.

They claimed that the MQM had foreseen its defeat that was why they were looking for a pretext to justify their defeat. They said that the Army could be deployed to satisfy the MQM.

BREACH PLUGGED: The breach in the Dim branch was plugged on Monday morning. The water supply in the canal was also restored.