HYDERABAD, Dec 30: Makhdooms have suffered a serious dent in their political clout in Hala and Matiari as their old and trusted but now estranged friends have formed an alliance, which poses serious threats to the influential family’s decades-old grip on the two towns.
Even the visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to Hala on Dec 25 failed to break the ice between the family and its former allies. If the alliance remained intact and fought against the Makhdooms it can upset polls results and deny them an easy win.
The estranged allies who make up the local electoral alliance, Awami Ittehad Matiari, are eyeing all three constituencies up for grabs but it appears they will mainly target PS-44 of Matiari taluka to make the electoral bout evenly poised.
The alliance with once-trusted lieutenants of Makhdooms like Raees Ali Ahmed Nizamani, Nazeer Rahu, Ayub Hingoro, and PML-F leader Mohammad Ali Shah Jamote, former nazim of Matiari, may create difficulties for the entrenched family politics in Matiari.
The alliance leaders give vent to their displeasure with Makhdooms though they do not voice any complaints against the PPP. Nizamani and Rahu say they have always stood by Makhdooms through thick and thin but the family has ignored them after coming to power. “We are not consulted for jobs and development works and there is no check on rampant corruption in our district,” says Rahu.
The Dec 25 lunch failed to do any major harm to the alliance despite one of its leaders Dado Hashim Samoon’s return to the Makhdooms’ fold and his son, Jalal Shah’s joining the PPP in the presence of the president.
Dado Hashim Samoon said: “I had some grievances with Makhdoom Khaliquzzaman, brother of Makhdoom Amin Fahim but when Amin Fahim called me and persuaded me to come back I did not decline. We have old relations and now I am with them.”
Nazeer Rahu says: “I’ve great respect for Makhdooms but politically I have parted ways with them and I may even contest polls against them for PS-43, their home constituency.” His son Sarfaraz Rahu attended Dec 25 lunch but Nazeer says it was only in line with social traditions.
PML-F leader Mohammad Ali Shah Jamote is head of all branches of Musapota Syeds and heads the ittehad as convener. He is being tipped as a strong contender for PS-44 of Matiari taluka.
Hala, a taluka of Matiari district, has hitherto remained an unassailable forte of PPP where Makhdoom Talibul Maula, father of Makhdoom Amin Fahim, hosted the first convention of PPP after the party was founded in Lahore in 60s. Since then the family has been associated with PPP.
Matiari district has one National Assembly (NA-218) and two provincial assembly seats, PS-43 and PS-44, that cover 18 union councils.Matiari taluka has eight UCs, Hala has six and Saeedabad four. Matiari was part of Hyderabad district and became a separate district inArbab-led Sindh government in April 2005.
In the rural Sindh politics, community heads act like king makers. Their support is mandatory for a candidate to ensure a win and Makhdooms have lost at least one such king maker in the Memon Ittehad led by Abdul Razzaq Memon as it has already formed an alliance with PML-F.
Memons have concentration in several UCs in the district and local political observers believe the Makhdooms may have to face upsets without their support.
The stage is set for an interesting electoral bout in Matiari for the first time in decades. Ali Ahmed Nizamani is at home in UC Karam Khan Nizamani and enjoys support in UCs Zairpir and Bhitshah.
Makhdooms’ estranged ally, Ayub Hingoro’s father has remained khaleefa of Sarwari Jamaat, the spiritual face of Makhdoomsa and he himself had remained nazim of UC Oderolal village. Likewise, Makhdoom Shahzad of PML-F had defeated Makhdooms in UC-II Hala in 2001 local bodies polls.
“The Makhdooms will face us on three seats of Matiari district. We are not happy with the way they have treated us in this government,” says Ali Ahmed Nizamani but cautiously adds, “they have no complaints against PPP as a party.”
Nizamani’s son Noorul Khan Nizamani was district naib nazim of Matiari when Mohammad Ali Shah Jamote was nazim in 2005.
He complains the Makhdooms always get tickets for Matiari seats. “They have a monopoly here,” he said tersely when asked why he was now airing his opposition in the open after having stood by them through thick and thin. “In fact, they are violating the very basics of the party’s manifesto. Jobs are being sold,” he alleged.
The alliance plans to field candidates for all three constituencies of Matiari but its leaders believe they will be able give a tough time to the PPP on PS-44, the seat which was lost by PPP’s Makhdoom Fazal Hussain, a relative of Hala’s Makhdooms in 2002 polls.
“He was made to lose the seat because Makhdoom Rafikuzzaman did not like him for personal and political reasons,” comments a former UC nazim of Matiari. Fazal lost by 6,000 votes to PML-F’s Jalal Shah Jamote.
Makhdoom Rafikuzzaman had almost disappeared from Matiari after completing his term as district nazim of undivided Hyderabad in 2001 local bodies’ polls.
He has now shown up. He is attending social gatherings and offering condolences in Matiari and telling his friends that he is likely to get the PPP ticket for PS-44. “The contest will be tough. I take every election seriously. Let’s see who gets the ticket for PS-44,” he said.
PPP leader Noor Shah Hashmi is also considered a strong contender for the ticket for PS-44. A local political observer said the alliance might exploit his support among voters in PS-44 if he was denied the ticket.
Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman’s seat, PS-43, which he usually wins with ease seems unperturbed as votes of Memon community will be divided in PS-43 and PS-44.
Of late, Matiari has seen growing disenchantment among party workers with the local leadership. The disgruntled workers have held demonstrations against PPP MPA and district president Ameer Ali Shah Hashmi, accusing him of selling government jobs. Besides, theparliamentarians and leadership are blamed for ignoring last year’s rain-affected people.
Observers believe Makhdoom Amin Fahim will try to revive his contacts but avoid commenting on the outcome of his efforts to deny his opponents an opportunity to cash in on.
The alliance is still in need of a strong contender for NA-218 to throw a serious challenge to Makhdoon Amin Fahim who has still an edge over his rival despite all odds.
