Political parties in Pakistan are often considered synonymous with a particular geographical area of the country. One such affiliation, that everyone believes to be a undisputable fact, is the Pakistan Peoples Party’s dominance of interior Sindh.

While many parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are known to hold two-way and sometimes three-way contests in the general elections, interior Sindh seems to be left alone by even the country’s major parties such as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz ofen just leave it be.

This time around the PPP seems to have made inroads into Karachi, the city which had always seemed out of its reach despite being in the same province. But things are not necessarily postive everywhere.

However, the anti-PPP vote has also shown a big jump in this election but is hampered from posing a major challenge to the party in the absence of strong alternatives.

Asif Zardari’s policy of reconciliation continues to pay strong dividends in the province and major challengers are often absorbed by the PPP in the province with the exception of a few names such as Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Liaquat Jatoi and Ibrahim Jatoi.

The prospects of competition to PPP seemed slim as elections approached. However, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam and Grand Democratic Alliance have managed enough momentum to turn some of Northern Sindh’s districts a tough contests.

JUI’s Rashid Mahmood Soomro has claimed that PPP offered the party a seat-adjustment formula over seven seats, which was rejected. The claims have not been independently confirmed in entirety, but news of offers to Soomro and his brother are indeed known.

Soomro is contesting elections from NA-194 in Larkana against Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Bilawal is also contesting from Benazir Bhutto’s old seat in Qambar Shahdadkot, now named NA-196. However, internal conflicts between the Chandio and Magsi tribes could pose problems for the party in the constituency.

New delimitations have added to the difficulties of the PPP, there is one seat (NA-192) which has been created within the boundaries of Kashmore, Jacobabad and Shikarpur districts, where PPP’s Mir Shabir Ali Bajarani is up against JUI’s Dr. Ibrahim Jatoi.

There is another seat (NA-191) which consists of three tehsils of Kashmore and some areas of Jacobabad district, where PPP’s young candidate Ali Jan Mazari is competing against JUI’s Mir Shah Zain Bajarani. A tough competition is expected on this seat as well.

Internal differences within the PPP over the distribution of tickets in several districts have also contirbuted to the anti-PPP vote. Former provincial ministers of the PPP are contesting as independents in Jacobabad and Ghotki.

In Jacobabad’s NA-190), Mohammad Mian Soomro is contesting as an independent with JUI’s support against PPP’s Ejaz Jakhrani.

GDA has nominated Muazzam Abbasi, who defeated the PPP candidate for the Provincial Assembly seat twice in Larkana city, from National Assembly seat (NA 204) in Khairpur this time. The party believes that only Moazzam Abbasi will get the votes of Kalhora community, and the contest could be one to watch.

Khairpur, the largest district of Sindh, is the native area of Pir Pagara and large number of his devotees live in the area. There are also the traditional Jilani and Wasan families who are known to be affiliated with PPP. Fazal Shah Jilani is a candidate from NA-203 and Halar Wasan is contesting PS-27. While the two families have four and two members respectively.

MQM has a strong hold on two national (NA-218 and NA-219) and three provincial seats in Hyderabad. On another provincial seat (PS-60) the contest between Ayaz Latif Palijo and former provincial minister Jam Khan Shoro are expected to have a fierce contest.

In Tando Muhammad Khan, Dr Qadir Magsi is contesting from PS-67. This is probably the first time since 1988 that Sindh’s intellectuals, writers and civil society and people from the arts are also participating in the election campaign in support of Ayaz Latif Palijo and Dr. Qadir Magsi.

While only polls will tell if it amounts to something in the end, it is clear that PPP was not expecting such a feat to take place.

The Mirza family’s position in Badin has always been strong, but despite being the federal minister for the past three and a half years, Dr Fehmida Mirza could not do any significant work for the development of the area or to bring relief to the people, which may have an effect on the polls.

Meanwhile PPP is not expected to dace any significant hurdle in Sajawal and Thatta.

In Sanghar’s NA-209, Shahnawaz Junejo’s son Mohammad Khan Junejo has left the PPP and is contesting from GDA’s ticket after differences over ticket distribution.

PMLN Sindh President Bashir Memon is a candidate against People’s Party’s Makhdoom Jameel-uz-Zaman in Matiari’s NA-216. The Memon community’s influence in the constituency could lead to a good contest.

While the opposition to PPP is scattered as always and victory may be certain for the party in interior Sindh once again, the task could be significantly more difficult this time.