PPP bags NA-205, Ghotki-II National Assembly seat

The Pakistan Peoples Party’s candidate Sardar Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar won the NA-205, Ghotki-II National Assembly seat in Tuesday’s by-elections, according to the unofficial and unverified results.

Bux bagged 90,180 votes, followed by an independent candidate Sardar Ahmed Ali Mehar who obtained 72,499 votes with a difference of 16,681 votes between the two main contenders, according to the unofficial and unverified results.

The polling process continued from 8am to 5pm without any interruption. The vote count started right after the polling time came to an end.

The two candidates are uncle and nephew to each other. Sardar Ahmed Ali enjoyed the full support of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).

The seat vacated after the death of former MNA Ali Muhammed Mahar. He had been the Sindh MPA from 2002 to 2004, as well.

Though there were nine candidates in the election arena, the real contest was between the two Mahars.

Interestingly, in the last year’s general election too, there were nine candidates while Ali Muhammad Mahar had pocketed 71,943 votes as independent and returned from his constituency and his closest rival was then PPP’s Ehsanullah, who had received 41843 votes, followed by MMA’s Abdul Qadoos with 36956 votes. Mahar afterwards became part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s federal cabinet.