KARACHI, March 27: A total of 541 candidates returned unopposed while 1,122 remained in the field contesting for 451 seats of local government byelections in Sindh.

The polling will be held on Sunday from 8am to 5pm without any break.

However, nowhere electioneering is visible in full swing except for a few camps which have been set up here and there by candidates enjoying tacit approval of certain political parties.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has released a list of candidates backed by the party while other parties are reluctant to declare their candidates.

The lacklustre campaign is being witnessed owing to partyless elections which are being held only for a year as general elections of local governments are due next year, observers said.

In Karachi District, according to the EC sources, not a single Nazim or deputy Nazim has returned unopposed. There are 68 candidates for 12 seats of Nazim and 23 aspirants for 10 seats of Naib Nazims.

However, against 28 Muslim general seats, three candidates returned unopposed while 103 aspirants are competing against 25 seats. On 24 Muslim women seats, three have returned unopposed while against 21 seats, there are 51 candidates in the run.

Likewise, against 10 seats of peasant/workers, one has returned unopposed while 26 candidates are competing on nine seats and out of 28 seats of peasants / workers (women) seven aspirants have returned unopposed while 59 candidates are contesting for 50 seats.

Against 35 minority seats, 15 were filled uncontested and against 20 seats, there are 30 candidates in the run.

The election commission on Saturday gave final touches to arrangements for polling in a free, fair and transparent atmosphere in the province for which all election material - from ballot boxes and ballot papers to seals and other related articles have been sent to the presiding officers concerned which will be opened on Sunday morning at respective polling stations in the presence of polling agents of candidates.

According to details, 13 Nazims and six deputy Nazims returned unopposed while against 43 and 23 vacant seats of Nazims and deputy Nazims, there are 200 and 64 candidates in the run, respectively.

Likewise, on Muslim seats, 61 candidates returned unopposed while against the 88 vacant seats, there are 344 candidates in the field.

On the vacant Muslim women seats, 134 have returned unopposed while on 83 vacant seats, there are 207 candidates in the run. Besides, 51 candidates returned unopposed on peasant/workers' seats while against 44 seats, there are 132 candidates in the run.

Likewise, 128 candidates returned unopposed on peasant/workers (women) seats while against 104 vacant seats, 264 aspirants are in the fray.

Moreover, as against 214 vacant seats of minorities, 148 returned unopposed while on the remaining 66 seats, there are 111 candidates in the run.