The leaders of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) take pride in the fact that the alliance is among the first electoral blocs to remain intact through a second election, but they are still lagging behind their main opponent, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), in terms of election activity. The 12th general elections in Sindh are scheduled for February 8, 2024, and political parties are gearing up for the contest.
The GDA was established in 2017 and is led by Pir Pagara, with the aim of challenging the PPP’s dominance in Sindh. The alliance has recently expanded to include the religious right-wing JUI-F and the ultranationalist Sindh United Party (SUP), among others. However, the alliance faces ideological differences among its component parties, such as the SUP’s disagreement with other parties in the alliance. Despite this, the GDA aims to advocate for Sindh’s issues through parliamentary representation.
The PPP has had a historical dominance in Sindh, consistently securing governments in the province. In the 2018 elections, the PPP increased its tally, cementing its strong position. The GDA, on the other hand, secured 11 direct seats in the Sindh Assembly and two in the National Assembly, but it aims to make further progress in the upcoming elections.
GDA secretary-general Dr Safdar Abbasi raises concerns about the transparency of the previous polls in Sindh, suggesting that the PPP’s stronghold mainly comes from specific districts. However, Dr Abbasi is optimistic about the GDA’s chances in the upcoming polls and supports the MQM’s call for devolution of powers to local governments.
As the election campaign heats up, the PPP seems poised for victory, with the party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari addressing multiple events nearly every day. The GDA, on the other hand, is still in the process of finalizing seat adjustments with its allies and issuing tickets to contenders. It remains to be seen whether the GDA can keep itself relevant in the political milieu with this rare second electoral outing.