Almost half of the candidates nominated by ruling Awami League was defeated in the phase 4 of the ongoing Union Parishad elections across the country while almost two-thirds of the AL candidates won in the first phase.
According to statistics, the AL nominated chairman candidates won in 72.54 percent UPs in the first phase of the election while AL candidates won in 50.06 percent UPs in the fourth phase.
Sources said that the ruling party candidates are facing this type of frustrating situation due to wrong selection of candidates, nomination trade and favouritism by the local powerful leaders of the Awami League.
As per information received from the field level, the ruling party chairman candidates are being defeated mainly by the party’s rebel candidates.
According to the Election Commission (EC), election in 204 UPs in the first phase was held on June 21 last year when the ruling party candidates won in 148, which was 72.54 percent. Rebels and other candidates won the rest 56 UPs.
In the second phase, election was held in 834 UPs on November 11, when AL candidates won in 486 UPs, which was 58.27 percent.
In the third phase, election was held in 1008 UPs on November 28, when the AL candidates won in 525 UPs, which was 52.08 percent.
And in the fourth phase, election was held in 773 UPs on December 27, when AL candidates won in 387 UPs, which was only 50.06 percent.
According to sources in the field level, candidates nominated by the ruling Bangladesh Awami League could not perform better in the UP elections due to intra-party feuds, nomination trade by the party’s central leaders and favouritism by the local top local leaders.
Most of the AL nominated UP Chairmen candidates lost the battle either against the rebels or the independent candidates, even when BNP, the main contestant in the field level politics, did not take part in the elections.
As per the information received unofficially, the ruling party candidates won in 54 percent of the UPs while the rebels or independent candidates won in more the rest 46 percent of the seats.
Experts opined that Awami League nominated candidates would have to face the same situation in the future elections unless the ruling party changes its electoral strategy, handles its intra-party feuds, nomination trading and nepotism by the top ranking local leaders.
