Bilawal replacing Nabeel Gabol in upcoming polls

As the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is finalising the list of candidates for the upcoming general elections, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will contest the elections for the National Assembly seat NA-248, replacing senior party leader Nabeel Gabol who took 84,217 votes in the last election.
It is also expected that the PPP chairman will contest the elections from NA-206 (Kamber-Shahdadkot), replacing Aamir Magsi.
Interestingly, Gabol will probably have no role in the elections, sources privy to the development told Pakistan Today.
The decision in this regard was taken by senior party leadership and presented before the PPP’s Candidate Selection Board headed by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and federal minister Maula Bux Chandio.
Throughout the tenure of the present government, Gabol had been targeted and sidelined, including several police raids on his residence that led him to go underground. Another reason against Gabol are the complaints by the people of Lyari, which has always been the PPP’s stronghold.
As per official record, there are at least 351,345 votes registered in the NA-248 constituency. In the last election held on February 18, 2008, a total of 106,414 votes were cast, of which 104,565 were valid and 1,849 were rejected. The overall percentage of the votes cast was 30.28 percent. At least nine candidates contested from the NA-248 seat. Ibrahim Rais of the then-Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) took 267 votes, independent candidates Ameer Khan Chandio and Shakoor Shad took 25 and 9,651 votes respectively. PML-N’s Shaikh Maqsood Ahmed got 3,888 votes, and Wasiullah Lakho of MQM took 6,326 votes. Other two independent candidates Muhammad Asim Ahsan and Mukhtar Ali got 35 and 57 votes respectively. The position in NA-206 (Old Larkana-III) was not different, as there was no tough competition. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) candidate Sardar Khan Chandio got 23,545 votes and PML-N got 112. However, PPP’s Amir Khan Magsi got 49,524 votes.
Sources said that the seat of Kamber-Shahdadkot would be won unopposed; however formal election would be held in Lyari. Former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza and President Zardari’s sister MNA Faryal Talpur have been regularly visiting Lyari in this regard.