Aspirants meet voters at Juma

Even though electioneering for the city polls was over at midnight Thursday, supporters of the two leading mayoral aspirants sought votes from people yesterday after offering Juma prayers at mosques.
Candidates have also run campaigns through mobile phone and email flouting the electoral code of conduct.
Witnesses said over 100 campaign workers of BNP favourite Moniruzzaman Mony chanted slogans for his election symbol “pineapple” outside the Darul Ulum Jame Mosque in the city's Musalman Para area. Mony himself was present there.
At the same place, dozens of supporters of Awami League backed mayor hopeful Talukder Abdul Khaleque chanted slogans for his election symbol “lock”.
Khaleque along with several hundred of his supporters offered his Juma prayers at KDA Baitun Noor Jame Mosque and sought blessings of the musallis.
The electoral code of conduct does not allow anyone to run any campaign after the end of electioneering.
Talking to The Daily Star, a supporter of Khaleque said they have sent around 50,000 emails and several thousand sms seeking vote for the former mayor.
A councillor hopeful, not wishing to be quoted, said he has designated two of his supporters to send sms to the voters in his area seeking votes.

INFLUENCE OF MONEY
Allegations are rife that campaign workers of both the frontrunner mayor hopefuls are distributing money among the slum dwellers in the city.
Slum dwellers are considered to be a major factor in deciding the results of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) polls.
"Supporters of 'lock' symbol have given Tk1,000 to my husband and me to vote for the symbol,” said Rehena Bagum, a tea stall owner in the city's Moylapota.
Seeking anonymity, a day labourer at Greenland slum said he along with his neighbours had received Tk500 each from the supporters of “pineapple” symbol.
Besides, money is being sent to voters through Bkash, a mobile phone based payment system, and cash recharge on mobile phones, complained locals.
Allegation of intimidation has also been raised.
Seeking anonymity, a resident of Labanchara slum in ward no-31 said, “An influential person from BNP, who controls the slum, has asked us to cast our votes as per his directive. If anyone disagrees, he or she will be forced out of the slum." Some 6,000 voters live in the slum.
Nuri Begum of Notun Bazar slum complained that supporters of Khalque have threatened to uproot her if she did not vote for him.
Meanwhile, detectives recovered 14 bullets abandoned near Hazi Abdul Malek Islamia College polling centre of Word-31 around 8:45pm yesterday.