Nomination scrap sends parties on salvage mission
Awami league (AL), BNP and Jatiya Party (JP) are now scrambling to find alternative party nominees for parliamentary constituencies where their original nominees' applications for candidacy were rejected by returning officers.
Meanwhile, some BNP and AL leaders who applied as independents are now vying for party backings as the original nominees in those constituencies had been denied candidacies, although in some constituencies the 'back-ups' or 'independents' loyal to the two major electoral alliances had also been declared unfit for contesting in the upcoming general election.
All parties however decided to carry on legal battles against the rejections till the last date for withdrawal of applications for candidature, in order to reinstate their original nominees as candidates.
BNP and AL both still have no candidate in 8 constituencies each, while JP nominees were denied candidacies in 5 constituencies across the country.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday discussed with her party colleagues ways for solving the crisis while an AL central working committee meeting last night deliberated on the vacuums, with party chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
AL thinks it might face difficulties finding replacements in five constituencies, although the party lost its candidates in 11 constituencies through the Election Commission (EC) scrutiny, party insiders said.
AL has necessary alternative candidates in the rest of the constituencies, the insiders claimed.
Meeting sources said the party chief is working on the matter.
"Our nominees will appeal against the rejections of their applications for candidacy, as the rejections are not legally sound, because many of them had all necessary documents," Syed Ashraful Islam, acting general secretary also spokesperson of AL, told reporters after the meeting.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain urged the EC to reconsider the rejections with more tolerance.
BNP has already replaced Dipen Dewan with Moitree Chakma in Rangamati since the former was declared ineligible, and Shahidul Alam Talukder has been replaced with Faruk Ahmed Talukder in Patuakhali-2, while nominee Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury of Chittagong-5 already got a court order in his favour in connection with a loan defaulting case.
Independent candidate Firoje Alam in Patuakhali-2 might get AL backing as its nominee ASM Firoje was declared unfit by the election officials.
AL will support its alliance partner JP's candidates where its own nominees were rejected and JP will back AL candidates where its nominees were declared unfit, said AL-led grand electoral alliance insiders.
A high profile AL team led by party adviser HT Imam is working on filling the vacuums, the insiders added.
JP yesterday formally announced the names of its 'confirmed candidates', and according to the list a total of 47 of its nominees will contest with grand alliance tickets, although applications of five of the 47 were already rejected by the officials for different reasons including defaulting on loan repayments.
AL picked JP leader Nawab Ali Biswas as the grand alliance candidate for Mouovibazar-2 after the returning officer had rejected the application of AL nominee Ataur Rahman Shamim.
MM Shaheen of BNP, who applied as an independent in Mouovibazar-2, might get party support as its nominee Abed Raja was declared ineligible.
AL has no alternative candidate in Pabna-2 yet, where its nominee AK Khandaker was denied candidacy due to defaulting on loan repayment.
The same is the situation for AL in Laxmipur-2 where its nominee Harunur Rashid was denied candidacy.
BNP might support independent candidate AKM Rezaul Karim in Jhalokathi-1 as its nominee Rafiqul Islam Jalam was declared ineligible, and in Narail-2 Khelafat Majlish leader Emranuzzaman is trying to get BNP support as BNP's nominee Sharif Khasruzzaman's application was rejected there.
According to the latest change in Naogaon-6, local BNP leader Jalal Ahmad Bakul has the party ticket now instead of Anwar Hossain Bulu.
In Sirajganj-5 however the official nominee of BNP and an independent candidate loyal to the party, both were denied candidacies, while Jamaat also did not nominate anyone in that constituency.
In Dhaka-6 BNP replaced Kazi Abul Bashar with Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka as its nominee, although a High Court order prevents the mayor from participating in the poll. No other BNP leader also filed for independent candidacy there.
AL leader AKM Awal might get the support of the grand alliance in Pirojpur-1 as JP nominee Mostafa Jamal Haider was denied candidacy there for loan default, while Anwar Hossain of AL might get the alliance support in Pirojpur-3 as JP nominee Abdul Jabbar's application was rejected there.
In Kurigram-4 Zakir Hossain of AL might get grand alliance support if JP leader Golam Habib Dulal fails to win the legal battle against the returning officer's decision to deny him candidacy.
JP leader Harunur Rashid's application was rejected in Dhaka-7 making way for Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin of AL to get the grand alliance ticket.
Independent applicants Anwaruzzaman Anwar or Sayeed Hossain Chowdhury might get BNP support in Dhaka-11 as party nominees Mohammad Shahabuddin and MA Hashem were denied candidacy there. Meanwhile, Shahabuddin secured a court order in his favour yesterday in connection with a loan defaulting case.
Maj Gen (retd) Abdus Salam, AL nominee in Mymensing-9, was denied candidacy putting the party in a crisis there if Salam fails to win the legal battle against the returning officer's decision, as no other AL or JP leader filed for candidacy there. Local AL leader Abdul Hye however filed an application there as a Bikalpadhara nominee.
AL-led grand alliance has no nominee in Munshiganj-3 as AL leaders Idris Ali and JP leader Mojibur Rahman both were denied candidacy there.
AL leader Afsarul Amin might end up getting grand alliance support in Chittagong-9 as JP nominee Morshed Murad Ibrahim was denied candidacy there, while AL leader Ashraf Ali Khan might get the alliance support in Netrakona-2 if Fakir Ashraf of JP fails to win a legal battle in connection with the grounds for his rejection.
BNP leaders think the party will face difficulties in finding an alternative candidate in Comilla-4 as party nominee Majeda Ahsan was denied candidacy and since no independent candidate there is loyal to the party.
BNP has no alternative nominee ready in Chittagong-16 either as all its nominees were declared unfit there.
AL-led grand electoral alliance might nominate a JP leader in Feni-2 if Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury fails to win a court battle while Mohammad Ali of Noakhali-6 already got a court order in favour of himself.
Comments