SUKKUR: PPP’s candidate Sardar Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar won the keenly watched NA-205, Ghotki-II by-election securing 89,180 votes against the GDA-PTI backed independent Ahmad Ali Mahar who polled 72,499 votes, according to unofficial results.
The seat had fallen vacant following the death of former federal minister and father of Ahmad Ali, Ali Mohammad Khan Mahar. The election had gained political significance as it pitted the PPPP against the PTI-GDA alliance.
Both the prime minister Imran Khan and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto had visited Khangarh to bolster their respective camps.
Earlier, the voting started at 8am and continued till 5pm without any break. Both the candidates cast their votes and met with each other inside the polling station. Strict security arrangements were put in place under the ECP’s directives. Army, Rangers and police personnel were deployed inside and around the polling stations.
According to the ECP’s data, there are 360,875 registered voters in this constituency and of these, 204,980 are males and remaining 155,895 females. There were 290 polling stations and 125 of them were highly sensitive and 164 were declared sensitive ones.