Daily Times

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has decided against contesting the upcoming 2024 general elections from Lyari, an area historically synonymous with PPP support and situated within the NA-239 (Karachi South-I) constituency. Instead, Bilawal has chosen to enter the electoral arena from NA-128 (Lahore-XII), NA-194 (Larkana-I), and NA-196 (Qambar Shahdadkot-I), having formally submitted his nomination papers for these constituencies.

This strategic move by Bilawal has prompted speculation among political analysts, some suggesting that the PPP’s decision to refrain from Lyari might stem from a perceived waning of interest in the constituency following the party’s loss to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the 2018 polls. Others posit that it could indicate a struggle to regain the necessary voter confidence required to reclaim the seat in the forthcoming elections scheduled for February 8 next year.

Contrary to these conjectures, Sindh PPP General Secretary, Waqar Mehdi, vehemently rebuts any notions of the party’s diminished standing in Lyari. Mehdi points to the results of the recent local bodies elections, where PPP candidates secured the majority of seats and took control of the Lyari Town municipality. He asserts that PPP is well-positioned not only in Lyari but also in other areas of the city for the impending polls. Mehdi highlights a roster of promising candidates who have submitted their nomination papers, emphasizing that tickets will be awarded after the completion of the scrutiny process.

In response to inquiries about the inclusion of new members and office-bearers in the party, particularly from Urdu-speaking communities or former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers, Mehdi underscores that PPP has consistently enjoyed support from Urdu-speakers, and many leaders in the party hail from this community.

Political analyst and journalist Sameer Mandhro provides additional insight, suggesting that PPP, following its defeat in the 2018 elections, may lack the confidence needed for success in the upcoming election in Lyari. He recalls Bilawal’s previous contest in Lyari, driven by workers’ insistence, which resulted in defeat. Mandhro characterizes Lyari as a complex electoral landscape, implying that the PPP is cautious about risking another loss in this historically significant constituency.