BADIN, Sept 18: Electioneering is gaining momentum in Badin district after withdrawal of candidates and verdicts by the election tribunals.

Candidates appear to be depending on corner meetings in various towns and villages instead of relying on door-to-door canvassing. Lesser amounts were being spent on pamphlets, banners and hoardings than the previous polls, making it harder for the people to decide about their favourite candidates.

It is a general perception that the contest in the district will be between the PPP and its rival alliances. Anti-PPP candidates, fielded by the National Alliance and the SDA, claim of “astonishing outcome” in their respective constituencies during the upcoming polls.

Political observers believe that all said and done it would still be difficult to defeat the PPP in the district, as it has been a stronghold of the party for the past many years.

It will be a tough test of popularity between the PPP and National Alliance’s “political giants” over the two national and five provincial assembly seats in Badin district. There are seven candidates contesting from NA-225 (Badin-II), which has a total of 304,633 votes.

A difficult political duel is likely to ensue between Khan Muhammad Halepoto of the PML-Q and Abdul Sattar Sarewal of the PPP. But neither of them belong to the Badin sub-division. Instead both of them hail from Matli sub-division.

Abdul Sattar Sarewal had filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate after he failed to get the party ticket from this constituency, as it had earlier been allotted to Dr Fehmida Mirza. However, Laghari was luckily awarded the ticket at the eleventh hour when all hopes of Dr Fehmida to contest the elections were lost. The outcome is still uncertain as the PPP is not likely to lose its vote bank.

Khan Muhammad Halepoto is not a new name for the people of Badin, as his cousin Basheer Halepoto had remained an MNA and the chairman of the district council. He also enjoys the support of National Alliance, the SDA, the Rahu family as well as the PML- Q.

Mir Haider Talpur (PTI) and Umer Farooq Cheema (PML-N), contesting from NA-225, are new entrants and have little influence among the voters. Mir Haider Talpur is the son of Mir Ali Ahmed Talpur, the former defence minister.

Another candidate contesting from this constituency is Asghar Ali Parhiar, who is a local Abadgar. He has been allotted the MQM’s symbol. He is going to face a hard time convincing his voters of his party’s manifesto.

There is also an independent candidate, Abdullah Sheedi, a private school teacher, with no property of his own and residing in a rented house, started his canvassing campaign on a rented bicycle.

This young man has laid claims to the votes of the Sheedi tribe in Badin district, which he says is sufficient to overcome the other candidates.

KILLED: A person was killed while three others of the same family sustained injuries after an armed group attacked on Tuesday near Sajjan Chang village in Talhar taluka.