It includes Saeedabad Baldia Town, Sector 9-A & B Baldia Town, Sector A, 3-A & B Baldia Town, Sector A Baldia Town (Part), Police Training Centre, Sector 8 Baldia Town, Sajjad Government School, Sector 3-C Part of 3-D Saeedabad, Naiabadi, Sector 4 Saeedabad (Part) Naiabadi.
It also consists of Grax village, Sher Mohammad Baloch Para, Mauripur village, Para Dil Falahabad and Para Budni village, Shamspir Island, Baba Bhit Island, KPT Quarters, Harbour Glaxo, Dockyard, Shipyard, Majeed Colony, Docks Colony, Bhutta Village, Intelligence Colony, Sultanabad, Gulshan-e-Sikandarabad, PAF Masroor Base, Machar Colony, Qaimkhani Colony, Ittehad Town, Mohammad Khan Colony, Saadullah Goth, Sajjan Colony, Dawood Goth, Naval Colony, Yusuf Goth, Baba Wilayat Ali Shah Mazar, Gabopat Tapedar and Manora Cantonment.
The population is largely made up of Sindhi, Baloch, Katchi and Gujrati-speaking communities, but Pakhtoon, Punjabi, Hazarawala and Urdu-speaking people also inhabit the constituency areas in sizable numbers.
A large number of people are involved in fishing or related activity or engaged in dock or port functions.
In the 70s, it was a strong support base of Pakistan People’s Party. However, the situation changed in the 80s with the change in demography as Pakhtoons and Punjabis entered the fisheries sector in droves and got employed in shipyards and dockyards.
Until the 80s, the PPP remained a dominant political force in the constituency. Later, the PML-Nawaz and the MQM made inroads into the constituency. The Awami National Party, headed by Khan Abdul Wali Khan, also commands considerable influence in the areas making up the NA-239 seat.
In the 1988 election, PPP’s Syed Amir Hyder Kazmi returned from here by securing 33,606 votes against his nearest rival, Mohammad Amin Lakhani (33,403 votes) and ANP’s Haji Mohammad Sher Khan (12,370).
In the 1990, Mohammad Irfan Khan of HPG-MQM won this seat by securing 50,042 against his rival Abdul Ghani of PDA who got 45,004 votes and ANP’s Fazal Karim Khan (15,120).
In the 1993 elections, Mian Ijaz Shafi defeated PPP’s Syed Masroor Ahsan. Mian Ijaz got 32,937 votes while Mr Masoor got 32,671 votes.
In the 1997 polls, Ijaz Shafi again returned from here by obtaining 35,451 votes defeating his nearest rival, MQM’s Mohammad Irfan Khan, who got 32,668 votes. PPP’s Naseerullh Babar secured 23,512 and ANP’s Mohammed Hanif Khattak 2,705 votes.
The situation stands changed now because of the emergence of new forces in the electoral field. The Sindh Democratic Alliance (SDA), which has a considerable influence among the rural populace, has nominated Syed Zia Abbas as its candidate.
The SDA of Imtiaz Sheikh is a component part of National Alliance of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi. Awami National Party is a part of the NA led by Jatoi.
Zia Abbas has emerged a potential candidate in the electoral race, because of his local support in rural as well as in Katchi abadis, notwithstanding his personal influence among the Pakhtoons and other ethnic groups.
The six-party religio-political alliance, Muttahida Majlis Amal, has also fielded a candidate. The conglomerate will upset the vote bank of parties who have support base in the Pakhtoon- and Punjabi-speaking people.
Equally powerful candidates are the PPP’s Iftikhar Husain and PML-Nawaz’s Mian Ijaz Shafi, whose nomination papers had initially been rejected, but later accepted.
The delay had upset his election campaign. But the support the PML-Nawaz enjoyed in the last two elections cannot be ignored.
The PPP has still a strong support base in the fishermen community of the coastal and rural areas of this constituency. The results of the past elections show that the MQM also enjoys considerable clout among the populace, particularly among the Urdu-and Gujrati-speaking people.
There are 17 candidates in the run. They are: Syed Zia Abbas (SDA), Dr Syed Mohammad Husain, Dr S.M Husain (MMA), Hakim Qari Gul Rahman, Akhtar Pervez, Iftikhar Husain (PPP), Amanullah Paracha, Lal Badshah Jadoon, Ashiq Husain Qureshi (MQM), Dr Mohammad Hanif Khan, Syed Haffizuddin, Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, Mohammad Qasim Sherazi, Mohammad Hanif, Saadullah Khan, Saleem Zia and Mohammad Tariq Afridi.
A triangular contest between the candidates of the SDA-NA, the PPP and the PML-N is expected.
SINDH ASSEMBLY:The NA-239 has also two provincial seats: PS-89 and PS-90. There are 19 candidates in the fray. The SDA has nominated Bashir Ahmed as its candidate while the PPP has awarded ticket to Akhtar Husain Jadoon.
Other candidates include: Hafiz Abdul Shakoor (MMA), Arsalan Qavi, Qadir Khan, Maulana Abdul Qayyum Noori, Lal Badshash, Mohammad Ayaz Khan, Sabra Qaiser Advocate, Syeda Saghir Fatima Advocate, Lt-Commander (R) Raza Husain Shah, Mohammad Hanif, Khalid Iqbal, Mohammad Shafi Beg, Nasir Ahmed (MQM), Nasir Husain and Subhan Ali.
A tough contest between the SDA and the PPP’s candidate is expected.
PS-90: There are 24 candidates in the run. Nadeem Bhutto (PPP), Mohammad Azam (PML-N), Khalid Mehmood Awan Advocate, Javaid Iqbal, Dr Arif Alvi, Ajmal Khan, Dr Mohammad Ali Brohi, Abdul Aziz, Dr Syed Mohammad Husain, Nasir Ahmed, Farid Ahmed Pirzada, Syed Hafeezuddin, Sultan Ahmed Khan, Dr S.M Zameer, Riaz Ahmed, Mohammad Yunis (SDA), Umar Sadiq (MMA), Sardar Hammayun Khan (PML-Q), Ghulam Mohammad, Syed iftikhar Husian Shah, Asma and Mohammad Tariq Afridi.
A tough fight looks likely between the candidates of SDA and PPP.