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Eyes on two vote banks

Rakib Hasnet Suman and Pankaj Karmakar, from Comilla
The role of three local lawmakers and swing of voters in two vote banks will determine who will be elected the first mayor of the Comilla City Corporation.
Although the three MPs were elected on the ruling Awami League ticket, many voters don't believe that they really want to see party-backed candidate Afzal Khan victorious. All of them have had a long-standing dispute with Afzal over local politics, locals said.
However, the lawmakers -- Bahauddin Bahar, AHM Mostafa Kamal (Lotus Kamal) and Whip Mujibul Haque — expressed confidence that Afzal would win, as he had been "blessed" by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself.
Talking to The Daily Star, a local AL leader said Afzal Khan's son was involved in an attack on a party rally in Comilla where Lotus Kamal was present. He is also a long-time rival of Bahauddin Bahar, the AL leader added, preferring anonymity.
Bahar, elected from Comilla town, is so influential that many believe Afzal can win only with his support.
Rebel AL candidate Noor-ur-Rahman Tanim, known to be a close aide of Bahar, might be an obstacle to Afzal Khan's victory, some say. Others say relations between Bahar and Tanim have not been good in recent times as it had earlier been.
Local leaders said Anisur Rahman Mithu, another rebel candidate from the party, is backed by Whip Mujibul Haque. Mithu even used Mujibul's house for his election campaign.
The whip, however, said party men had been working together for Afzal's victory.
Besides these equations, two vote banks — minority community and Sadar (south) area -- will play a vital role in today's election.
Of the total 1, 69,273 voters, about 47,000 voters of Sadar are mainly controlled by Bahar and former BNP lawmaker Monirul Haque Chowdhury.
Bahar and Monirul have good terms with Monirul Hoque Sakku, the Nagorik Committee-backed mayoral hopeful.
Monirul Haque has already extended his support to Sakku, and if Bahar just remains silent, most of these votes will go to Sakku's box, locals said.
In addition, some 50,000 votes of the minority community might be split between the camps of Afzal andTanim.
However, singer Asif Akbar, also a local BNP leader, said Sakku would bag a large number of these votes.