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Upazila Parishad Polls

Rebels pose big challenge

AL, BNP struggle to pick single candidate

Staff Correspondent
The Awami League and the BNP are both struggling to pick a single candidate for each post in the upcoming elections to 98 upazila parishads.
Sources in both the parties said it would be very difficult for them to prevent multiple party candidates from vying for each post in the February 19 polls.
The elections to this crucial local government body are being seen as a prestige issue for the two camps, as they want to prove their popularity by winning the polls that follow the January 5 one-sided general election boycotted by the BNP-led alliance.
Therefore, both camps are trying to dissuade dissidents for better results. But they are not much optimistic about the success due to rivalries among grassroots leaders.
Intra-party conflict, misunderstanding between the district and upazila committees and nepotism by districtlevel senior leaders are among the main causes for disputes, local leaders of the two parties told The Daily Star.
Instructed by the high command, the AL grassroots have already moved to pick a single candidate for each post in an upazila but have so far failed to do so.
More than 250 local AL leaders are running for the 98 chairman posts in the same number of upazilas that go to polls on February 19 in the first phase. The situation in theBNP camp is similar. Around 200 of its grassroots leaders are running for the top post in the 98 upazilas.
Amid this, district and upazila leaders of the two parties are making hectic efforts to persuade the dissidents to withdraw their candidacies on or before February 3, the last date for quitting the race.
"We will pick one candidate for each post in every upazila through discussions with the aspiring candidates," said Misbah Uddin Siraj, AL central organising secretary for Sylhet division.
Sylhet district unit of the party will sit today to discuss the matter, he added.
Siraj said party Presidium Member Obaidul Quader, also the communications minister, was expected to visit the area today to monitor the polls preparation and discuss other organisational matters.
Sylhet district BNP Vice-president Dilder Hossain Selim said they were working to finalise a lone candidate for each post and it would be done by February 3.
In Sylhet, polls to six upazilas will be held on February 19.
But neither party has so far been able to pick a single candidate for any posts in those upazilas. The same goes for the five upazilas in Jhenidah.
"Nobody should disobey the party order. If anyone does, stern action will be taken against him,” said Abdul Hyee, president of Jhenidah district AL.
Jhenidah district BNP President Mashiur Rahman said: "Everybody hankers after posts. Still, we are trying to choose a single candidate for each post."
Shah Abdul Jabbar, president of Khansama upazila AL of Dinajpur, said they would hold a meeting today to persuade the rival candidates to stand aside. "If anyone violates the decision, he would face disciplinary action. “
Two upazilas of the district go to polls on February 19.
Our district correspondents spoke to senior leaders of both the parties in 15 other districts and found that they, too, could not pick a single candidate for each post as yet.
Party insiders say if they fail to prevent dissidents from running in the first phase, it will be difficult to prevent them in the second phase when another 100 upazilas go to polls on February 27.
Aspirants are already filing applications, seeking candidacies in the February 27 polls. The Election Commission is likely to soon announce the schedule for polls to another 100 upazilas in
the third phase.
The ruling AL has formed seven committees consisting of central leaders to assist the grassroots in picking single candidates for each post. The committees have started working to ensure victory for the party-backed candidates.
"On an average, four Awami League men are contesting the chairman post in each upazila. We are trying to project a single candidate. But it may not be possible everywhere," AL Presidium Member Kazi Zafarullah told The Daily Star yesterday.
Asked about his party's strategy, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, a BNP standing committee member, said senior leaders would tour the country from tomorrow to boost the grassroots.
"During the visit, they will try to resolve the disputes, if any, to ensure better results in the upazila elections," he said.
Local government expert Prof Tofail Ahmed said upazila elections were nonpolitical in nature. But the way political parties are manoeuvring the elections is unethical, although not illegal.
The political parties' direct involvement in picking candidates will reduce the chances of non-partisan people getting elected, he noted.