NA-246 battle spreads to Twitter!
- By Shahjahan Khurram -
- Apr 23, 2015
By Shahjahan Khurram
With temperatures running high and adrenaline pumping speeches being delivered in the recent past, the by-election for NA-246 has successfully captivated the whole nation. With all eyes set on PTI’s Imran Ismail and JI’s Rashid Naseem in their bid to upset MQM’s Kunwar Naveed Jamil in his own backyard, politicians can hardly keep from tweeting. Trending hashtags on twitter include #BallayPayThappa, #VoteForKite, #VoteDoTarazuKo, #NA246BelongsToMQM, #VoteForBat and #VoteForPatang.
Here’s a list of tweets from Pakistani politicians doing the rounds on Twitter:-
Imran Khan fully backed his candidate and wished him good luck for the tough contest ahead.
Good luck to @ImranIsmailPTI. Him & Khi Pres @AliHZaidiPTI with their teams have put up a brave campaign in hostile conditions. #NA246forPTI
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 22, 2015
Faisal Subzwari complained about the long queue of voters but remained hopeful of his candidate’s success.
LONG queues of voters…SLOW polling thanks to amalgamation of polling booths etc…But people will #VoteForPatang
— Faisal Subzwari (@faisalsubzwari) April 23, 2015
Wife of chairman Imran Khan, Reham accused MQM of crying foul play as a result of being scared.
MQM has started crying already! Is it possible that they are struggling to reach 1 lakh 40,000 votes this time? #BallayPayThappa
— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) April 23, 2015
Syed Ali Raza Abidi, MQM’s most socially active member, alleged deliberate delaying of polls so that MQM’s lead could be curtailed.
MQM has started crying already! Is it possible that they are struggling to reach 1 lakh 40,000 votes this time? #BallayPayThappa
— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) April 23, 2015
Polling process being deliberately slowed down to reduce MQM’s lead, so that the media can beat the drum that MQM’s votes have fallen.
— Syed Ali Raza Abidi (@abidifactor) April 23, 2015
Wasay Jalil also took to Twitter and questioned the presence of Rangers in female polling stations.
Why these Male Rangers Personnel doing at Lady Polling Station? Is he suppose closely like this? #VoteForPatang pic.twitter.com/l1iLKKeJez
— Wasay Jalil (@WasayJalil) April 23, 2015
JI also made sure it’s supporters and followers on social media were kept abreast with latest developments as regards to the by-election.
جماعت اسلامی کا الیکشن کمیشن کے نام ایک اور خط۔ حلقے میں بے ضابطگیاں جاری #VoteDoTarazuKo pic.twitter.com/KSHZuGxcct
— Jamaat-e-Islami (@JIPOfficial) April 23, 2015
We’ve posted enough examples of prominent politicians. Here are a few trending tweets on Twitter from everyday citizens like the rest of us! An overzealous MQM supporter tweeted this:-
If anyone have few reasons to hate MQM So I have 100’s reason 2 love MQM &1000’s reason to vote MQM #VoteForPatang @WasayJalil @abidifactor — haniqureshi (@haniqureshi1) April 23, 2015
Another compared MQM’s educated parliamentarians with what he labelled as PTI’s fake degree holders.
#MQM sent educated people to parliament not fake degree holders #VoteForPatang #KarachiRejectsPTI — Tauseef Khan (@tauseefykhan) April 23, 2015
Though she gave no indication, seems sufficient she’s trashing MQM in this tweet!
So much confusion in NA246; polling day par vote Denay jaata hai? Hamaray toh vote lag jaatay thai pehlay ;)! ! #NA246VoteForBat — Zarlasht Faisal (@ZarlashtFaisal) April 23, 2015
An overseas PTI enthusiast took to Twitter and tweeted a picture whose apt caption portrayed both humor and the sign for change!
It is time to get rid of the status quo. Vote PTI. #BallayPayThappa pic.twitter.com/06eNuPURP2 — Khurram (@MahmoodK69) April 23, 2015
JI supporters were also the main reason #VoteDoTarazuKo and #TarazuJeetayGa was trending on Twitter. Here are a couple of tweets from JI supporters as well:-
This particular gentlemen was proud of the JI candidate roaming around fearlessly to monitor the election proceedings.
Imran Ismaeel wd a bullet proof jacket, Rashid Naseem visiting everywhere fearless, #VoteDoTarazuKo to save Karachi
— Dr. Haroon Rasheed (@HaroonkRasheed) April 23, 2015
Another JI supporter highlighted how Rashid Naseem was different from what PTI and MQM had to offer.
Only cast your vote for corruption free leadership, No to UTurn politics, No to target Killers. #VoteDoTarazuKo
— naveed ul mustafa (@naveedulmustafa) April 23, 2015
Let’s hope the contest ends in good taste and no bad blood remains between supporters as well as contestants from all three parties. For now, that seems less likely as the democratic contest on-ground has also engulfed social media!