Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Ruling Awami League (AL) and opposition BNP on Friday released final list of their candidates ahead of the 11th Parliamentary Elections schedule to be held on December 30.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir unveiled the candidates’ list through media briefings in the capital.
Eyeing a third successive term in power, the ruling AL unveiled its final list of 240 candidates, leaving 60 seats for its alliance partners, while its rival BNP released the list of its 206 candidates, leaving out 94 seats for its alliance partners, including Oikyafront and various parties.
AL will contest the national polls under the grand alliance, comprising Jatiya Party.
Sources said, AL and BNP announced their respective candidates’ list after hectic deliberations within the high commands to avoid ‘groupism’ that was fielded in the past.
They said, both the parties adopted stringent guidelines and chalked out new strategies in selecting candidates, as they have been pursuing the process to win the elections by any means.
Sources claim the ruling AL has faced tough challenge to finalize the candidates’ list when several sitting MPs, including half a dozen senior Ministers, are facing strong disturbance in their home turf due to their eroding popularity and internal feud.
The party dropped a number of its incumbent lawmakers, including party’s two joint general secretaries and two organising secretaries, while selecting candidates from 4,023 aspirants.
Ending speculations over the nomination of former Home Minister Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, the party has finalized his ticket from Chandpur-1 Constituency though his tainted reputation for Farmers Bank loan scam.
“We have finalized the list banking reports of various surveys carried out at different levels for gauging ‘winnability’ of the candidates,” M Faruk Khan, Presidium Member of AL told The New Nation yesterday.
He said the party leadership has selected candidates burying the culture of groupism in the party. The party selected those who are winnable and influential in their respective Constituencies.
“BNP has finalized the candidates’ list based on survey reports from grassroots level across the country. The candidates have been selected considering their previous contribution in party, image and popularity in their respective Constituencies,” Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yousuf, Vice-Chairman of the party told The New Nation yesterday.
He said if the Election Commission holds a fair election, all the BNP candidates would win the polls race.
Earlier, a total of 4,580 aspirants collected the BNP’s nomination form to vie for the next general elections.
