MIRPURKHAS, Oct 13: Yousuf Talpur, the PPP’s MNA-elect from NA-228 (Mirpurkhas-III), has levelled allegations of rigging, harassment and detention of his party candidates and occupation of the polling stations by their rivals in Mirpurkhas, Sanghar and Tharparker districts.

He was speaking at a press conference here on Saturday.

He said that four polling stations of Pithoro taluka and six of Umerkot taluka were occupied by armed persons for rigging and harassing the presiding officers.

The People’s Party Parliamentarians leader said that he was attacked at four places in his constituency on the polling day but he remained unhurt.

The PPP candidate from PS-69, Ali Murad Rajar, was detained by the police and despite his (Talpur’s) complaints to the concerned authorities, he was not released until polling was closed, he said. He added that Rajar was defeated but claimed that in recounting he could win the seat.

In Tharparkar district, he said, about 275 PPP polling agents were kidnapped with their vehicles and most of them reached their homes on foot after polling ended. However, 28 polling agents were still missing, he added.

He deplored that the authorities did not pay attention to his complaints and applications for recounting were rejected.

He demanded of the chief election commissioner to visit Tharparkar and Mirpurkhas districts and order re-polling at those polling stations where complaints were lodged and polling was stopped.

He said that in Sanghar district the Pakistan Muslim League (F) workers resorted to massive rigging and harassment of the PPP workers.

The PPP’s defeated candidate from PS-64 (Mirpurkhas-I), Mohammad Siddiq Memon, alleged that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers stopped polling at some polling stations.