AL, BNP battle for Comilla pride
Comilla City Corporation goes to polls today amid tight security as the archrivals Awami League and BNP are set to contest the elections.
The mayoral race has virtually turned into a “battle of prestige” for AL candidate Anjum Sultana Sima and BNP's Monirul Haque Sakku for some reasons.
In the maiden Comilla city polls five years ago, AL-backed Afzal Khan faced a humiliating defeat to Sakku.
This time around, AL chief Sheikh Hasina passed the baton to Afzal's daughter Sima. Her win could be viewed as a revenge for her father's defeat.
If elected, she would become only the second woman mayor of a city corporation after Selina Hayat Ivy in Narayanganj.
For Sakku, a win would brighten his political career and earn him a fresh five-year term as mayor.
In 2012, he had to resign from BNP to run in the non-partisan election as his party decided not back any candidate. The then main opposition party was in a movement demanding restoration of the caretaker government system.
Sima and Sakku are contesting the elections with their parties' electoral symbols “Boat” and “Sheaf of Paddy”. Senior AL and BNP leaders recently took part in electioneering for their camps.
INFIGHTING CONTINUES
Internal feuds within the AL and the BNP remained a big headache for the two leading mayor hopefuls. Central leaders of both the parties tried to damp down the infighting to make sure that grassroots leaders worked together to ensure win for the party candidates.
Intra-party conflict was largely blamed for Afzal's defeat in 2012. The problem was still there in the ruling party's Comilla unit, said local AL leaders.
Many BNP men alleged that former mayor Sakku did not maintain good relations with them in the last five years.
In terms of area, CCC is the country's smallest city corporation with around two lakh voters. There are over 10 crore voters in the country.
Yet, Comilla city polls drew much public attention due to the battle between the two archrivals. A victory would boost up the morale of the winning party ahead of the next parliamentary elections scheduled for early 2019.
The AL and the BNP last faced off in a national election in December 2008. The BNP later boycotted the January 2014 parliamentary polls.
However, grassroots leaders of the two major parties fought some elections to local bodies in the last few years.
In the latest battle of ballots between the two parties, AL's Narayanganj mayor candidate Selina Hayat Ivy sealed a landslide win against BNP nominee Shakhawat Hossain Khan in December last year.
CRUCIAL TEST FOR EC
The Comilla city polls were being seen as a crucial test of capacity for the Election Commission led by KM Nurul Huda.
Members of the law enforcement agencies, including police and Border Guard Bangladesh, started patrolling city streets yesterday to thwart any untoward incident.
Constituted last month, the EC is holding its first competitive election in Comilla. The district administration has taken all out preparations in line with the EC's directives to maintain law and order to hold a free and fair election.
CEC Huda on several occasions assured that the Comilla city polls would be held in a free and fair manner.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, he said voters should not be worried about the law enforcers' raid on a suspected militant den in Comilla.
He urged the voters to go to the polling stations and cast their votes.