AL wary of rebels

The ruling Awami League high command is concerned about potential rebel candidates in the next parliamentary election.
Insiders say rebel aspirants in around 100 constituencies in the next polls might be a bigger threat for the party than the candidates of main opposition BNP.
Keeping this in mind, the party high command has started gathering information about the potential rebel candidates. The AL high-ups are also working on the matter to neutralise them with hopes that they would be evaluated in the election thereafter.
AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam has been working in this regard for several months, the insiders add.
Against this backdrop, the AL yesterday submitted a proposal to the Election Commission to introduce a new electoral law. The AL proposed that the EC should declare disqualified the expelled leaders of any party from contesting two consecutive national polls from the day of their expulsion.
The insiders say a good number of AL leaders are taking preparations to contest the next parliamentary polls independently if they are not given party tickets. These leaders include former lawmakers, incumbent chairmen and vice-chairmen of different upazilas across the country, former nomination aspirants, and former top leaders of AL's different associate bodies, they add.
Talking to The Daily Star, some of these leaders said they would seek nomination from the party ahead of the next polls. If they are not given nomination, they would go for contesting the polls as independent candidates, the leaders added.
Asked if not given nomination, a former lawmaker who did not get party ticket in the last parliamentary polls, said, “I want to take part in the next election at any cost.”
On the party's stance on its rebel candidates, AL presidium member Obaidul Quader said he supports his party proposal placed before the EC regarding the potential rebel candidates.
Terming the rebel candidate issue a premature concept, he said: “I can say that if there is any rebel candidates anywhere, measurers will be taken against them as per the party constitution.”