Newly carved District Keamari unlikely to be a walkover for PPP

In the newly carved Keamari district, which largely comprises underprivileged and rural areas of the city such as Mauripur, Shershah, Baldia Town and their suburbs, the Barelvi factor may play a more decisive role in the local government elections than other districts of the city due to a strong presence of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in many union committees (UCs) of Baldia and Mauripur towns.

The district, which touches the western coast of the city, was carved out of District West in 2020. It comprises three towns — Baldia Town, which has 13 UCs inclusive of 52 wards; Mauripur Town, which has 11 UCs comprising 44 wards; and Moriro Mirbahar Town with eight UCs and 32 wards.

The Baldia and Mauripur towns largely comprise underprivileged areas and slums, while Moriro Mirbahar Town consists of rural and suburban areas.

Major players

In some UCs of Baldia and Mauripur towns, a tough competition between the TLP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is expected as these parties are contesting the local bodies elections in District Keamari without forming any electoral alliance.

The popularity of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which earlier had a strong presence in Baldia Town, seems to have waned after the rise of the TLP. Another player that should not be underestimated is the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) whose Rights of Karachi campaign has attracted residents across the city. The JI is more likely to affect the PTI’s vote bank than the TLP.

In the 2018 general elections, PTI’s Faisal Vawda won the National Assembly seat from Baldia Town after defeating incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with a close margin. After Vawda resigned from the seat to participate in the Senate elections, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Qadir Khan Mandokhail won the seat in the subsequent by-poll.

In some UCs of Baldia Town, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is being considered one of the major political forces. In the last local government elections, a significant number of the UCs in the town were secured by the PML-N.

Interesting alliances

For the local government elections, political parties have formed inconsistent alliances in various UCs of District Keamari as two parties that have united in one UC may be seen opposing each other in another UC.

The PLM-N has formed an electoral alliance with the Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party, formerly known as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, in UC-6 and UC-9 of Mauripur Town. Interestingly, the PPP, Jamiat Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and Awami National Party have made an alliance against the PLM-N and Rah-e-Haq Party in UC-6.

The PPP has fielded joint candidates with the JUI-F in three UCs in Baldia Town and with the PML-N in two UCs in Mauripur.

Interestingly, the JI and ANP’s joint candidate would face the PPP and JUI-F alliance in the Shershah UC where the PTI is also a strong contender. In Moriro Mirbahar Town (formerly included in SITE town), the PPP’s candidates are being considered favourites. However, in some UCs, the TLP and PTI may cause an upset.

In Mauripur Town, estranged workers of the PPP have formed an independent panel in two UCs against their own party. The disgruntled PPP leaders are also divided among themselves over the town mayor in Mauripur. The division among the PPP workers and local leaders may create difficulties for the party.

Munir Ahmed Shah, a senior journalist who lives in Keamari Town, told The News that many local leaders of the PPP have been unhappy with the party’s policies and some of them have formed independent panels.

He, however, added that the PTI was also facing a similar situation in the district, especially in some UCs of the Baldia and Mauripur towns.

“The PPP-led provincial government carved Keamari Disrcit from District West with the aim to make it its another stronghold in the city. But the PPP’s estranged workers and the strong presence of the PTI and the TLP will make it not possible for the PPP to easily dominate the district,” the journalist remarked.

Statistics

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s statistics, a total of 1,953 candidates, including 471 vice chairmen and as many chairmen, would be contesting the local government elections in District Keamari.

The number of wards in the district is 128, for which 1,011 candidates for councillors are in the fray. The number of voters in the district are 844,851, including 495,289 male and 349,562 female voters, who would cast their votes in 547 polling stations set up across the district.