& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

AL opts to be generous

JP to benefit most from AL's seat sharing in JS polls

Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee
The Awami League may field weak candidates or refrain from nominating any in around 70 of the 300 constituencies to allow the Jatiya Party to win the seats in the next parliamentary election.
The ruling party also plans to offer 30 more seats to the components of the AL-led 14-party combine, Islamist parties including Tarikat Federation and Islami Oikya Jote, and the Jatiya Party (JP-Manju), according to sources in the AL.
On November 18, HM Ershad-led Jatiya
Party announced that it was no longer a part of the AL-led grand alliance and it would contest the polls independently.
The AL is now trying to persuade other political parties to participate in the election. If any parties outside the 14-party combine contested the polls, the AL would sacrifice more seats, said the sources.
The ruling party is now in contact with the Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh of B Chowdhury, the Liberal Democratic Party of Oli Ahmad and several other parties.
The AL may allow the JP to win in 70
FROM PAGE 1
constituencies where the JP has strong bases. And the aim is to make the JP a strong opposition in the next parliament in which the AL hopes to retain control, according to sources.
However, the AL may change its strategy if the BNP decides to contest the polls. In that case, the ruling party would participate in the election jointly with the components of the grand alliance.
Following Ershad's meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on October 20, AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said the JP would contest the polls under the banner of the AL-led grand alliance if the BNP participated in the polls.
But if the main opposition boycotted the polls, the JP would change its decision, he said.
The JP is now trying to bring some Islamist parties to its fold. The party also plans to offer nominations to some grassroots leaders of the BNP-led 18-party alliance if it boycotts the polls, said sources.
Speaking at a discussion yesterday, AL leader Suranjit Sengupta said many BNP leaders wanted to become lawmakers, and they would participate in the election even if the BNP boycotted it.
But both the AL and JP leaders have refrained from making any comments publicly about the sharing of seats in the election supposed to be held by January' 24.
Wishing anonymity, an AL presidium member told The Daily Star, "Upon the Awami League's assurance, the Jatiya Party decided to contest the polls. We have to sacrifice a good
number of seats to the party."
Sources said the JP would give the AL president a list of its desired constituencies in a day or two after the party finalises its nomination list.
The JP started selling nomination papers on November 20 and the sale will continue till November 25. The party sold at least 600 nomination forms till yesterday.
Talking to The Daily Star, AL presidium member Matia Chowdhury said the AL wanted to move with its allies and was ready to make as much sacrifice as possible for them.
"The partners of the 14-party alliance have not yet placed their demands. We will finalise the sharing of seats after they do so," she said.
Matia also said several other like-minded parties might contest the polls.
Another AL presidium member, Kazi Zafarullah, said the AL would finalise the sharing of seats with its allies once the Election Commission announced the polls schedule.
The party would also announce the names of its candidates after that, he added.
JP presidium member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu told The Daily Star that the party was making all-out preparations to contest the polls independently.
He said the JP was holding talks with several Islamist parties for getting their support.
Sources in the AL said the party president would sit with the nomination seekers today at the Gono Bhaban at 3:00pm.
The ruling party has already sold 2,959 nomination forms.