It is the only constituency in the former district south where the Muttahida has dominated electoral scene since 1988, except in 1993 when the party boycotted the NA polls.
The Muttahida leader won this seat in 1988, 1990 and 1997 elections and returned on the provincial assembly seats in 1993 and 1997 polls.
In 1997, Dr Farooq vacated the NA seat and retained the provincial one. Later, in a by-election Muttahida’s Babar Khan Ghori was elected.
The constituency comprises the old city areas, including Kharadar, Mithadar, Boulton Market, Ranchore Lane, Dharamsiwara, Nanakwara, Napier Quarters, Ramswami and Nabi Bakhsh and Jubilee market area, Pan Mandi, and KMC stadium in Saddar Town.
Some parts of Lyari Town, which include Saeedabad (part), Singoo Lane (part), Sarbazi Mohalla, Lasi Mohalla, Mundra Mohalla, Khud Basti, Bakra Piri, Allama Iqbal Colony and Usmanabad, are also included in the constituency.
The majority of population consists of Memons, Marwaris, Ganchis and Gujrati-speaking people with a sizable number of Urdu-speaking and other ethnic communities, such as Balochs, Sindhis and Lasis.
Despite the fact that the population of Urdu-speaking people is smaller than that of the other communities, the constituency is considered to be the stronghold of the MQM.
With the exception of JUP chief Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, almost all parties had fielded Memon candidates in the past. Eminent social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi also belongs to this constituency.
Till 1970s, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, headed by Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, had been a dominating political force in the constituency.
In the 1980s, ethnic polarization in the city changed the political trends in favour of the MQM, which emerged as a strong political force in the 1988 elections when Dr Farooq Sattar won the seat by securing 40,716 votes against Habib Memon of the PPP (16,028 votes). Others contestants were IJI’s Mohammad Husain Mehnati (16,028) and the JUP’s chief Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani (9,885).
There were 1,97,712 registered voters and the turnout was 51.02 per cent.
In the 1990 elections, Dr Farooq Sattar returned from here by securing 52,887 votes against the JUP chief (35,804). The number of voters was 205,785 and the percentage of the votes cast was 43.39.
However, in 1993 the PPP secured the seat after the MQM boycotted the National Assembly elections. Aziz Memon of the PPP got 23,309 votes against the PML-JUP joint candidate, Hanif Tayyab (19,439) and the JUP’s Shah Ahmed Noorani (5,062).
There were 29,726 registered voters and the percentage of votes cast was 23.41.
In the 1997 elections, Dr Farooq again returned by securing 27,711 votes against PML (N)’s Haji Mohammad Hanif Tayyab (17,333 votes).
There are 12 candidates: The Muttahida has fielded Aamir Liaquat Husain, while the six-party religious alliance — Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal — has nominated Abdul Majeed Noorani.
Besides, PPP’s Abdul Habib Memon, Sunni Tehrik’s Mohammad Iftikhar Ahmed Bhatti, Haji Mohammad Hanif Tayyab, Muneer Ahmed, Mohammad Tahir and Maulana Mohammad Asghar Dars, Sakkaruddin, Bostan Ali Hoti, and Mirza Ishtiaq Beg are in the field.
The MMA and the Sunni Tehrik have emerged as new forces in the electoral arena this time, signifying the role of religious factor in the area.
Since the MQM has a solid vote bank in the area and its opponents’ vote bank has split up, prospects are bright for the party to win the seat again.
A triangular contest between the MQM, the MMA and Sunni Tehrik is expected in the constituency.
SINDH ASSEMBLY: The constituency has two provincial seats — PS-110 and PS-111.
The PS-110 comprises Jinnahabad, Usmanabad, old Haji Camp, New Kumarwara, Napier Police Quarters, Salar Compound, Kharadar, Nanakwara, Ranchore Lane-1 (part), Ramswami, Nabi Bakhsh, Dharamshala, Bhorapir and Jubilee area with a mix population.
This is the constituency from where MQM’s Farooq Sattar was elected in 1993 and 1997. The Muttahida has still a strong support base in the area.
The ST and the MMA have come to the fore this time at a constituency politically dominated by the MQM and the PPP.
It is premature to say at this stage how these two forces would influence the voters on religious basis in a constituency where ethnicity has always played a key role in determining the electoral politics.
There are 20 candidates: The MQM has fielded Dr Abdul Aziz Bantwa; the PPP has nominated Javaid Husain Baloch, and the Sunni Tehrik’s candidate is Abdul Ghani Khanani.
Others are: Mohammad Shabir Abu Talib (MMA), Abdul Rahim Butt (PML-N), Ms Saify Ali Khan (PML-Q), Bostan Ali Hoti, Asif Jan, Muneer Ahmed, Sajjad Husain, Sheikh Abdul Rahim, Nanki Bai, Abdul Waheed Chandio, Shafiq Ahmed Khokar, Ibne Ali, Kanwar Naveed Jamil, Fahim Ali, Maulana Hakeem Ali Dars, Khalid Farooq and Arif Sattar Advocate.
The split in the non-MQM vote bank has consolidated the position of the Muttahida, giving it a clear edge in this constituency.
PS-111: The constituency comprises parts of Lyari and Saddar Towns, including Saeedabad (part), Singoo Lane (part), Sarbazi Mohalla, Lasi Mohalla, Mondra Mohalla, Khad Basti, Bakra Piri, Allama Iqbal Colony, Noorani Colony, New Kumarwara, Nawalane, Usmanabad, Dhobi Ghat, Hasan Lashkari Village, Azam Plaza area, Shoe Market (part), Garden West, Pakistan Quarters, Ramswami, Nabi Bakhsh area, Jubilee Market area, Dharamsiwara (part) and Usmanabad (part).
Eleven candidates are in the run: Mohammad Farooq Awan (PPP), Syed Tayyab Husain Hashmi (MQM) Mahabat Khan (MMA), Shakeel Ahmed Baloch (SDA), Shahzad Qamar (ST), H.M. Hanif, Mohammad Ilyas Siddiqi, Aneela Tiwana, Syed Shoaib Ahmed Bokhari, Taufique Ali Hoti and Mehboob Aftab Khan.
This is a peculiar provincial constituency where both the PPP and the MQM have a strong vote bank with a mix population. A tough fight is expected between the PPP and the MQM.
In the 1988, 1990 and 1993 elections, the PPP had won the seat, but in 1997 the MQM’s Liaquat Qureshi defeated PPP leader Nabeel Gabol.