JP slumps to its worst showing
Wins 11 seats
The Jatiya Party suffered a debacle in yesterday's national polls as it won only 11 seats, sources at the party chairman's office said.
This is the party's worst polls results since the restoration of democracy in the country in 1991 following the fall of late president HM Ershad.
In the 1991 polls, the JP vied for 221 seats and won 35.
In the 1996 and 2001 polls, the party bagged 32 and 14 seats respectively. The JP participated in the 2008 polls under the Awami League-led grand alliance and won 27 seats.
"We always feared we might be sacrificed after being drawn into the race, and a real one-party rule would be established ...."
In the lopsided polls in 2014, 34 JP candidates became victorious. In 2018, the party secured 22 seats running in the election under the AL-led grand alliance.
Yesterday's 11 winners are Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Thakurgaon-3), GM Quader (Rangpur-3), AKM Mostafizur Rahman (Kurigram-1), Shariful Islam Jinnah (Bogura-2), Ashrafuzzaman (Satkhira-2), Ruhul Amin Hawlader (Patuakhali-1), Golam Kibria Tipu (Barishal-3), Mujibul Haque Chunnu (Kishoreganj-3), AKM Salim Osman (Narayanganj-5), Masud Uddin Chowdhury (Feni-3), and Anisul Islam Mahmud (Chattogram-5), JP Joint Office Secretary Mahmud Alam told The Daily Star.
The JP fielded candidates in 265 constituencies this time. But around 230 party nominees had been largely inactive in campaigning, party insiders said.
After hectic discussions between senior leaders of the AL and the JP, the ruling party left 26 seats for the JP.All the 11 winners contested in those shared constituencies.
Meanwhile, JP Chairman GM Quader yesterday said, "We always feared we might be sacrificed after being drawn into the race, and a real one-party rule would be established ...."
It will be clear in the afternoon whether our concern is justified.
"As we have joined the electoral race, there is no scope for boycotting right now. We have to announce programmes after seeing the polls results," he said replying to a query from a journalist after overseeing voting in Rangpur-3.
JP presidium member Sherifa Quader, wife of Quader, lost the polls to Dhaka-18. Among the other party candidates who lost the elections include Shamim Haider Patwary from Gaibandha-1 and Fakhrul Imam from Mymensingh-8.
Yesterday, 11 JP candidates withdrew halfway through the election alleging widespread irregularities, including stuffing of ballots and capturing of polling centres, in their respective constituencies.
In the around 10 previous days, a total of 31 JP picks formally announced withdrawal from the race alleging that the polls would be one-sided and would not be free and fair, said JP Joint Office Secretary Mahmud.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Rejaul Razi Swapan Chowdhury, JP nominee for Thakurgaon-1, alleged that supporters of the AL candidate captured almost all polling centres in his constituency with the help of local administration and police.
"My polling agents were driven out of different voting centres by the Awami League candidate's men.
"I visited many polling centres and found the allegations to be true. Around 2:00pm, I announced quitting the election protesting vote-rigging," he said.
Mohammad Ali and several other JP candidates echoed Rejaul's allegations.
The 11 candidates who quit the polls raceyesterday are Rejaul Razi Swapan Chowdhury (Thakurgaon-1), Md Delowar (Lalmonirhat-2), Johurul Haq (Jashore-4), Mohammad Ali (Tangail-1), Enayet Hossain (Mymensingh-2), Mir Shamsul Alam Lipton (Jamalpur-3), ANM Rafiqul Islam Selim (Narsingdi-2), Alamgir Sikdar Loton (Narayanganj-2), Yahiya Chowdhury (Sylhet-2), Sazzad Rashid (Chandpur-4) and Nurul Amin Sikdar Vhuttu (Cox's Bazar-4).