Bhakkar: During the General Elections 2024, the Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-91 Bhakkar-I was elected with 106,153 votes, representing 33 percent of the 321,033 ballots cast, while accounting for just 21 percent of the 509,418 registered voters in the constituency.
According to Free and Fair Election Network, the Final Consolidated Result (Form-49) for the constituency revealed a voter turnout of 63 percent. Despite the electoral victory, the winner did not garner the support of the majority of voters who participated in the February 8, 2024 election, as 201,328, or 63 percent, chose other candidates, indicating a lack of majority support for the elected representative.
The runner-up in the election secured 27 percent of the votes, while the third-placed candidate received 22 percent. The remaining candidates collectively received 14 percent of the ballots. Additionally, 13,552 ballots, or four percent of the total, were invalidated and did not count toward any candidate.
This analysis is part of the Free and Fair Election Network's constituency-wise examination of the representation challenges posed by Pakistan's electoral outcomes. The series underscores how the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system may distort representation in elections with multiple candidates, where it is common to have three or more contenders. In such scenarios, a majority of voters may feel unrepresented, raising questions about the legitimacy of the elected officials and potentially contributing to political instability.
Readers can visit the FAFEN website for further analysis on electoral representation across various constituencies.