Awami League (AL) is busy in calculations regarding getting success in polls and managing the alliance ahead of 12th national parliamentary elections. According to the announced elections schedule, the last date of submitting nominations of the aspiring candidates is November 30. The fellow member parties of 14 partires’ alliance already sent letters to AL in this regard. The new party Trinamool BNP also want boat symbol, along with Islami Oikojot. Furthermore, Jatiya Party also wanted assurance of minimum 70 seats in the elections from AL. Hence, the calculations regarding polls and alliance are going on seriously.
Awami League has already started selecting candidates of the party. The party finalized the candidates for Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions on Thursday. Nomination Board chief Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting and board members were present there. After the meeting held on Thursday, Awami League General Secretary, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told the reporters, “Many members of the current parliament have dropped out. Candidates acceptable to the people have been given priority in the selection of candidates. There are surprises in the nominations.”
However, Obaidul Quader didn’t tell about how many members of parliament have been excluded. According to party sources, the meeting will continue till next Sunday to decide party candidates for 300 constituencies. If everything goes well, the final list will be published on Monday. Member of nomination board of AL, spokesman and coordinator of 14 parties, Amir Hossain Amu told Bangladesh Pratidin, "Awami League is finalizing its party's candidate first. After the finalization of the party candidate, the alliance candidate will be finalized upon holding meeting with the alliance partners.”
Islami Oikyajot wants to vote with boats: Islami Oikyajot wants to vote with boats in the 12th national parliament elections. In a press conference at the National Press Club on Thursday, the chairman of the party, Misbahur Rahman, said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the country has stood tall in the court of the world. We have to maintain that position. That is why we will participate in the 12th parliamentary elections.”
Michabahur Rahman said our party is not yet registered with the Election Commission. This is why we don't have a party symbol. Our party has been one of the partners of the Grand Alliance since the establishment of the Grand Alliance under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. Earlier our party did not participate in any election. However, we were by the side of Awami League and its party chief, and we will continue to do so.
He said this time we will elect from 40-45 seats.
Meanwhile, speculations are rife about the newly registered political party Trinamool BNP. There are rumors that they also want to board the boat.
Allies want to get on a boat: Awami League's allies want to cross the electoral waters this time with a boat. The registered parties have also told the Election Commission through letters about participating in elections in alliance. Similarly, this letter has been given to Awami League. These include Workers Party, Jasad, Jatiya Party-JP, Bangladesh Samyavadi Dal, Tarikat Federation, Ganatantri Party. Although not in the 14-party alliance, in the last elections ‘Bikalpa Dhara’ party was in an electoral alliance with the Awami League. They also told the EC about their participation on the boat symbol under the banner of the Awami League-led Grand Alliance, apart from their party symbol.
On the other hand, among the alliance partners, three leaders of the unregistered Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASD) and one leader of the Gana Azadi League have collected the nomination papers of the Awami League. Those who are with the coalition are also looking forward to get on the boat.
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon told The Bangladesh Pratidin, "We will fight with the boat symbol of the alliance. I have also written to Election Commission and Awami League about it. Apart from this, the candidate will be in the field with the party's own symbol.”
Jasad President Hasanul Haque Inu said, "Partition of alliance seats has not started yet. Now Awami League is selecting candidates. There will be a meeting with us where we will talk about seat sharing.”
Chairman of Tarikat Federation Syed Najibul Bashar Maijbhandari said, "I have contested with boat sybol in the past as well. I will do the same this time.”
He said, "We will ask for 15 seats. I will do elections by boat in the seats that Awami League will give. There will be no objection if someone votes with their own symbol.”
Jatiya Party wants assurance of 50 seats: Although Jatiya Party (JAPA) has announced that it would hold elections in 300 seats of the Jatiya Sangsad, it would participate in the elections mainly in agreement with the Awami League. For this reason, the party is expecting at least 50 seats from them. Secretary General of the party . Mujibul Haque Chunnu during the conversation with journalists at the office of the Japa chairman in Banani on Thursday said, “The Jatiya Party will elect its own plow symbol in all 300 seats as we have not written to the Election Commission to go to any alliance. But there are different strategies in politics. We will proceed with our own strategy.”
It is known from talking to the leaders of various levels of the Jatiya Party, like in the past three terms, Jatiya Party will take part in the polls in the 12th national parliament elections by agreeing on strategic unity or seats with the Awami League. However, the party will field candidates in all 300 seats as part of its strategy to increase the acceptance of elections at home and abroad. In this case, the party has requested Awami League not to give the boat symbol in at least 70 constituencies to ensure the victory of Jatiya Party candidates as well as their alliance partners.
Reliable sources have confirmed that apart from the expected seats of Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader, Begum Roshan Ershad, Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Syed Abu Hussain, Kazi Feroz Rashid, Ruhul Amin Howladar, Sherifa Quader, Saad Ershad, Golam Kibria Tipu, Moshiur Rahman Ranga, Awami League has shown a positive attitude in initially not fielding a boat symbol candidate for the party's current 23 MP seats, including Rustam Ali Faraji, Liakat Hossain Khoka, Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari, Fakhrul Imam, Ratna Amin Howladar. In addition, at least 10-15 more seats may be left to Jatiya Party by the ruling parties at the end of the discussions. All in all, the Jatiya Party can pursue compromise from the Awami League in the upcoming elections and get concessions of 32 to 35 seats. Apart from this, Awami League can give 30 to 35 seats to its allies Workers Party, Jasad, Tarikat Federation, Jatiya Party-JP, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh and Trinamool BNP, the newly formed coalition United Front and BNP leaders who are independent candidates.
According to the sources, Awami League has a negative attitude towards those who became MPs with the support of the government in the past two terms and were not active in the field against the activities of BNP-Jamaat. On the other hand, Awami League is looking positively at those MPs who were elected as MPs in ‘Plow symbol’ in the past two terms but were active on the streets against BNP-Jamaat in their respective areas.
Apart from this, the ruling party has a positive attitude towards the leaders of Jatiya Party and other alliance partners who have strong organizational base in their respective areas and good relations with common people. It is said that Kalyan Party, which recently announced to participate in the elections, will seek 11 seats from Awami League. The party expressed this demand in a meeting with two responsible leaders of Awami League on November 19. Party Chairman Major General (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim announced the three preferred seats.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on November 24 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque)
