The governing Awami League has withdrawn its candidates from 26 constituencies for the Jatiya Party and six seats for the members of the 14-party alliance.
AL sent a letter to the election commission (EC) on Sunday afternoon saying that the party will not have any candidate for the 32 constituencies.
Biplab Barua, Office Secretary to the governing party carried the letter to the EC office, Nirbachan Bhaban, in the capital’s Agargaon area.
Coming out of the EC office, he told newspersons that all the candidates of the 14-party alliance will contest the election with “boat”, the electoral symbol of the Awami League.
The Awami League candidates of the seats, relinquished to the Jatiya Party, have withdrawn their candidature, he informed the media.
The letter of the Awami League sent to the EC further stated, “The commission was informed that Bangladesh Awami League will participate in the 12the Jatiya Sangsad election as a party and as a member of an alliance. It was mentioned in that letter that the allied political parties can use the Awami League’s electoral symbol or their own party symbols, and this will be finalised on the last date of withdrawal of candidature. In this context, Bangladesh Awami League has withdrawn its candidates as there will be candidates of the alliance in the following constituencies.”
Meanwhile, Speaking to the media after 3:30 pm Sunday, the last day of withdrawal of candidature, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque said that the party will contest in 283 constituencies.
He denied the formation of any alliance with the Awami League and compromises over seat sharing.
The party has strategies regarding some seats, he insisted.
Compromised seats
The Awami League and Jatiya Party reached a consensus over 26 seats. Those are: Thakurgaon-3, Nilphamari-3 and 4, Rangpur-1 and 3, Kurigram-1 and 2, Gaibandha-1 and 2, Bogura-2 and 3, Satkhira-2, Patuakhali-1, Barishal-3, Pirojpur-3, Mymensingh-5 and 8, Kishoreganj-3, Manikganj-1, Dhaka-18, Habiganj-1, Brahmanbaria-2, Feni-3, Chattogram-5 and 8, and Narayanganj-5.
Of the constituencies, AL did not field any candidate in the Narayanganj-5 constituency.
Beside this, AL shared two seats with Bangladesh Workers’ Party, three with JASAD, and two with Jatiya Party (JP).
The seats are: Bogura-4, Rajshahi-2, Kushtia-2, Barishal-2, Pirojpur-2 and Lakshmipur-4.