Up to 100 AL MPs may fail to get party nomination

Ruling Bangladesh Awami League eying a third-term in office may not nominate about 100 of its current members of parliament (MPs) for contesting the upcoming general elections, party leaders have indicated.

The MPs who have earned certain notoriety, or become controversial due to corruption and drug trade, and those who have lost popularity or turned extremely old, may not be considered for the electoral contest.

The ruling party has decided to change the candidates as part of its preparations to face the principal opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which, it believes, is mostly likely to join the elections this time.

“Those who have been controversial or committed corruption will not be given nomination,” said AL presidium member Pijush Kanti Bhattacharya

However, some senior leaders said, a few controversial figures in the ruling camp may still be chosen as candidates to overcome possible tough challenges coming from the BNP.

Based on reports prepared by different government sources, AL president prime minister Sheikh Hasina is learned to have concluded that more than one-third of the ministers, state ministers and MPs have lost their popularity.

“It’s only natural that the Awami League will be criticised more than any other party since it has been in power for 10 years. The party wants to present the people with surprise by fielding fresh candidates,” a member of the AL nomination board told Prothom Alo.

The leader said the ruling party wants to create an impression that the AL does not ‘like’ tainted candidates. “So, this time, the first and foremost criterion for nomination is popularity of the candidate in the constituency,” the AL leader pointed out.

Accordingly, the ruling party leaders said, around 80 to 100 MPs including ministers and state ministers would be ignored while giving the AL nomination.

The AL has 233 MPs, out of 300 seats meant for direct voting, in the current parliament constituted through 2014 elections boycotted by the main opposition parties including the BNP. As many as 153 MPs were elected uncontested.

AL leaders made a broad hint that many of those who were elected without contest would most likely be dropped.

If the BNP ultimately joins the electoral race, the AL will share seats with the alliance partners.

The AL general secretary Obaidul Quader told newsmen recently that the alliance partners would be given 70 seats or so in the coming elections.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo Bangla online, has been rewritten in English by Khawaza Main Uddin