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Despite walkover from AL
FROM PAGE 12
in Rangpur division, including Gaibandha-1 where sitting JP MP Shameem Haider Patwari is contesting.
The JP took part in the 2008 national election as a partner of AL-led grand alliance. The party ran in 49 constituencies but won only in 27 where the AL withdrew its candidates.
JP nominees could not win in any of the remaining 22 constituencies where the AL candidates had also run.
In the 2014 parliamentary polls, the JP won 29 seats where the AL did not field any candidates following a consensus over seat-sharing.
In the 2018 polls, the AL left 26 seats for the JP resulting in the latter’s win in 22 constituencies. JP nominees lost their security deposits in 145 constituencies where both the AL and JP aspirants ran.
JP high-ups think such easy wins will not happen this time as the party nominees will have to fight against independents as well as JP rival candidates who may emerge as their major challengers in at least three constituencies -- Brahmanbaria-2, Nilphamari-3 and Pirojpur-3.
JP presidium member Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan is running for Brahmanbaria-2. Although the AL has withdrawn its candidate from this constituency as part of an understanding, chances are slim that Rezaul will win, said local JP leaders.
This is because Rezaul will have to face a strong independent aspirant, former district AL joint general secretary Moin Uddin.
In the 2018 national election, BNP candidate Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan had won this seat bagging about 84,000 votes against independent aspirant Moin Uddin’s around 76,000.
Besides, Rezaul will also have to fight against his father-in-law Ziaul Haque Mridha, a former JP MP who is running as an independent.
In Nilphamari-3, five strong independent aspirants, including four from the AL, are competing against JP nominee Rana Mohammad Sohail. Former JP MP Kazi Faruk Kader is also vying for this seat.
In Pirojpur-3, JP aspirant Mashrekul Azam will have to face sitting JP lawmaker Rustam Ali Farazi who is running as an independent.
JP chairman’s wife Sherifa Quader, a sitting MP from a reserved seat for women, is vying for Dhaka-18. Although Habib Hasan, sitting AL MP from this constituency, has pulled out as part of an understanding, Sherifa has to face AL leader Khosru Chowdhury who is running as an independent.
JP chief GM Quader’s nephew HM Shahriar is likely to face a tough competition in Rangpur-1 as the opposition chief whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga, who was expelled from the JP, is taking part as an independent.
In Satkhira-2, two “AL independents”, including the sitting MP, have made the battle of ballots difficult for JP nominee Ashrafuzzaman, JP insiders said.
JP nominee Masud Uddin Chowdhury MP, who is running again for Feni-3, will have to face challenge from Rahim Ullah, a strong independent aspirant.
Some constituencies are known to be JP strongholds. Those include Thakurgaon-3 (Hafiz Uddin Ahmed), Rangpur-3 (GM Quader), Kurigram-1 (AKM Mostafizur Rahman), Kurigram-2 (Panir Uddin Ahmed), Patuakhali-1 (ABM Ruhul Amin Hawladar), Kishoreganj-3 (Mujibul Haque Chunnu) and Narayanganj-5 (AKM Salim Osman).