Rajshahi Division: AL has 150 aspirants against BNP's 130
They are archrivals but there is one thing in common for both the camps.
In almost all the 39 constituencies in Rajshahi division, multiple lawmaker aspirants from the Awami League and the BNP are trying to secure party tickets to contest the next national election.
Around 150 AL men are now in the race of getting party nominations, while BNP has around 130, according to our district correspondents.
Additionally, the BNP may face some problems over candidates backed by its ally Jamaat-e-Islami which is not registered with the Election Commission.
Although Jamaat wants seven seats for its leaders in the division, BNP plans to leave out only two. These are Pabna-1 (Santhia-Bera) and Sirajganj-4 (Ullapara), said senior BNP leaders.
Out of six seats in Rajshahi, five now belong to AL lawmakers and one to Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB). At least 35 AL men are in the race to win party tickets in the five seats. The ruling party may back WPB leader Fazle Hossain Badsha in the other constituency.
INTRA-PARTY RIVALRY
AL's intra-party rivalry has reached such a state that its district unit adviser Motiur Rahman in August filed a case against supporters of lawmaker Omar Faruk Chowdhury (Rajshahi-1) for allegedly attacking him and his supporters.
In another incident, seven union parishad chairmen and a municipality mayor at a meeting with AL presidium member Mohammed Nasim early this month in Rajshahi raised a series of allegations against lawmaker Kazi Abdul Wadud Dara (Rajshahi-5) and demanded the party nominate another candidate from the constituency in the next election.
On the other hand, at least 28 BNP leaders, including former minister Aminul Haque and ex-Rajshahi mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu, have been campaigning for the polls.
In Bogura, around 20 nomination seekers of AL have been conducting campaigns to get party tickets at seven constituencies in the district, considered as a stronghold of BNP.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had won almost all the elections --1991, 1996, 2001, and 2008 -- in Bogura-7 (Gabtoli-Shajahanpur) constituency.
This time Khaleda may contest the polls in Bogra-6 if she is not barred from taking part in the election over her conviction in a graft case. Her son Tarique Rahman's wife Zubaida Rahman may join the polls race in Bogura-7, said party insiders.
Besides, BNP may support Jatiya Oikyafront leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna to fight the battle of ballots in Bogra-2.
In Natore, a least 12 AL men have been campaigning to contest the elections to four seats here. Shafiqul Islam Shafiq, chairman of Singra upazila, has emerged as a strong contender for AL nomination in Natore-3. State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak is the incumbent lawmaker in the constituency.
In Pabna, a lone AL candidate is campaigning for the polls in Pabna-5 while around 10 ruling party men are conducting campaigns in each of Pabna-2, Pabna-3 and Pabna-4 constituencies to secure party nominations.
The BNP is facing almost a similar situation in the district. At least 14 MP hopefuls are trying to get party nominations against five seats. Khaleda's personal assistant Shimul Biswas may get priority in Pabna-5.
Out of six constituencies in Naogaon, at least 20 AL candidates are campaigning in five to win party nominations. In the other constituency (Noagoan-1), incumbent lawmaker Sadhan Chandra Majumder is the ruling party's lone candidate. Former AL general secretary Abdul Jalil's son Nizam Uddin Jalil John may seek nomination from Naogaon-5 constituency.
BNP has at least 26 nomination seekers in the district. However, the party high-ups hinted that “new faces” might get priority here.
In Sirajganj, AL presidium member Mohammed Nasim, also the health minister, is the lone candidate in Sirajganj-1. At least 20 lawmaker aspirants have been trying to get party tickets in the five other constituencies.
In BNP's camp, at least 19 nomination seekers are conducting campaigns to get party tickets in six constituencies.
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