Rahimyar Khan: In the latest general election, the elected Member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-169 Rahimyar Khan-I secured victory with only 15% of the constituency’s registered voters casting their ballots in his favor. The election, held under Pakistan's First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system, saw the MNA receiving 81,187 votes, which accounted for 31% of the 265,086 votes cast, but a mere 15% of the total 527,946 registered voters.
According to Free and Fair Election Network, the voter turnout in the constituency was reported at 50%. Despite winning the seat, the MNA did not secure the majority of votes among those who participated in the election on February 8, 2024, as 66% of voters, totaling 174,067, chose other candidates. The runner-up candidate garnered 28% of the ballots, while the third-place candidate received 27%. The remaining candidates collectively captured 11% of the votes, and 4% of the votes, amounting to 9,832, were deemed invalid.
This election result is part of FAFEN's broader analysis of electoral representativeness across Pakistan's 266 National Assembly constituencies. The analysis highlights the implications of the FPTP system, where candidates can win seats without majority support, contrasting with a proportional representation (PR) system that could better reflect a wider array of voter preferences in legislative bodies. The GE-2024 data provide insight into the discrepancy between votes cast and representation secured in the National Assembly constituencies.
For a detailed constituency-by-constituency analysis, FAFEN's complete series is available online.