Tuesday’s by-polls should have been a rubber stamp of victory for the ruling PTI. What was surprisingly seen at the end of a tumultuous polling day were comfortable wins for candidates from PPP and PDM in Karachi, Sanghar and nearby Pishin. Slated to be hot contests for the ruling as well as opposition parties, the polls (particularly, in Malir) were marred by allegations of vote-rigging and violence. The influence of state machinery on the electoral process (after the arrest of PTI leader) cannot be undermined. Still, there is no denying the fact that PM Khan is in for troubling days ahead if he does not view the crushing defeat as what it is: an eye-opener. Though sitting on the opposition benches in Sindh, the PTI had emerged as a dominant force in Karachi in the 2018 polls. It was extremely proud to have bagged 13 out of the 21 assembly seats. Party leaders loved touting their effecting dethroning of the port city’s undisputed overlords–the MQM. Their dismal descent to the third position (5,000 versus 24,000 PPP’s votes) in the same city after a mere passage of two-and-a-half years is a valid ground for immediate introspection within the party ranks. The very fact that its popularity graph had risen from only one national assembly seat in 2013 makes what transpired in the polls even more disturbing. The party’s fast cascading voter profile has thrown all speculations about its stronghold out of the window. Taking a page out of its largest rival, PML-N’s book, the dominant PTI would do well to realign its priorities to its fortresses. PM Khan was only able to crush the lion when he injured its lair. Despite Punjab being Nawaz’s home ground, he had stolen the PML-N’s thunder in 2018 polls with a clear majority in the Punjab assembly. PPP’s dismal loss of its base in Punjab in the 2008 elections after enjoying mass appeal for 53 years is another avoidable legacy. Ergo, PTI leaders should strengthen their connection with the voter base before old guards, like the PPP and MQM, are successful in snatching back their castles. Last polls had seen jubilant leaders claiming to take on the entire province, come 2023. If they wish to deliver on their promises, they first have to retain the majority they presently enjoy. It took PM Khan 20 years to do the inconceivable: dent the strong political bases spread across the country. Now that he has managed to enthuse hope for a new player, good governance seems to be the only viable option to consolidate his gain. The upcoming Senate polls are a good avenue to flex PTI’s muscle. Can he do the swish and flick, once again? Let’s see! *