Both AL, BNP favourites facing rebels in almost all wards

Both the Awami League and the BNP have failed to ensure single candidates for the 14 reserved seats for women in the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls.

Among the total 62 candidates vying for the reserved seats, 36 are pro-Awami League and 18 pro-BNP. Besides, there are six independent candidates, one candidate backed by Jatiya Party and the remaining one by Jamaat.

The Daily Star has found that only two seats among the 14 do not have rebel AL candidates. In the other reserved seats, there are as many as six pro-AL contenders.

Nur Minara Nargis, a pro-AL councillor aspirant of seat no. 4, expressed her frustration over the fact that she has to compete with several pro-AL candidates.           

Nargis, chairperson of Uttar Pahartali Ward Mahila AL, feared that the candidates backed by other parties would get the upper hand as there are several pro-AL candidates contending for the same seat.

For seat no. 4 there are 10 contenders, among who six are pro-AL, two pro-BNP and two are independent candidates.

Contacted, Nayeem Uddin, vice president of Chittagong city unit AL, said they did not put much thought into the candidates for reserved seats.

He, however, said more than one candidate vying for the same seat was not a problem and that the public would choose the candidate who has been more involved with the party's organisational activities.

The BNP is faring better in this regard. Eight of the seats have single BNP candidate.

Talking to The Daily Star, Abdullah Al Noman, vice-chairman of BNP, said they were concentrating on the post of the mayor and have not been thinking about the councillor posts.