HYDERABAD: In the recent General Election of 2024, the elected Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-220 Hyderabad-III secured only 14% of the total registered voter support, despite winning the seat with 36% of the votes cast. The election, held on February 8, showcased Pakistan's First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system, where a candidate needs only to obtain the highest number of votes, not a majority, to win.

According to Free and Fair Election Network, the Final Consolidated Result (Form-49) of the constituency revealed that the voter turnout was 39%, with 177,960 ballots cast. Although the winning candidate received 64,531 votes, representing 36% of the ballots, a significant 62% of voters opted for other candidates. The runner-up garnered 29% of the votes, the third-place candidate received 16%, and the remaining candidates collectively secured 17%. Additionally, 2,636 ballots, accounting for 1% of the total, were declared invalid.

This analysis is part of FAFEN's examination of electoral representativeness across Pakistan's 266 National Assembly constituencies. The FPTP system often results in elected officials who do not have the support of a majority of voters. In contrast, a proportional representation system would allocate seats based on the proportion of votes each party or candidate receives, potentially reflecting a broader range of voter preferences. The data from Pakistan's GE-2024 illustrates the discrepancy between votes cast and the representation achieved in the National Assembly.