Intra-party feud, ‘nomination trade’ and picking weaker candidates sidelining popular aspirants under the influence of so-called heavyweight leaders have caused a humiliating defeat for the ruling Awami League in the fourth phase of the Union Parishad (UP) elections, analysts say.
They say that those who have intruded into the party by means of money and mussels, popularly called hybrid leaders, influenced nominations in connivance with some unscrupulous central leaders to choose weaker candidates in the UP polls.
Most of the AL nominated chairman candidates lost the election either to the party’s rebels or independent candidates.
Unofficial election results show that ruling party candidates won election in less than 50 percent of the UPs while rebels or independent candidates bagged more than 50 percent with BNP, another major political party, remaining off the race.
Experts opine that Awami League candidates might face the same situation in future elections unless the ruling party does not change its electoral strategy, tackle intra-party feuds, and stop ‘nomination trade’ and favouritism.
Election results show that the performance of the ruling party candidates in the UP polls is worse in the fourth phase than the third phase of the UP polls.
As per the unofficial results, in the fourth phase, 290 UP elections were held in 33 upazilas of 22 districts on December 26. Only 143 out of 290 chairman candidates nominated by the ruling party were elected. The rest 147 winners were either rebels or independent candidates.
In the third phase, ruling party candidates bagged around 53 percent of the posts of chairman.
According to sources, in Netrokona district, elections were held in 12 UPs. Of them, AL candidates won eight seats and rebels and independent candidates the rest four.
In Sunamganj district, only three chairman candidates won the election from the Awami League out of nine UPs while the rest six went to rebels. In Habiganj, AL candidates secured win in 13 Ups out 20 while rebels win in the rest seven.
In Kushtia, elections were held in 20 UPs. Of them, only seven won from the AL and the rest 13 from the rebels and independent.
In Manikganj, elections were held in 16 UPs. Of them, nine won from AL and the rest seven won from the rebels.
In Bhairab of Kishorganj, elections were held in seven UPs. Of them, four candidates won from AL and the rest three from the rebels.
In Rangamati, elections were held in 10 UPs. Of them a single candidate from the AL won while the rest nine won from the rebels and independent.
In Chuadanga, elections were held in four UPs and all the AL candidates won there.
In Chapainawabganj, elections were held in four UPs and all the ruling party lost all the four seats.
In Bogura, elections were held in 13 UPs and only three candidates from the AL won the election and the rest 10 won from the rebels and independent.
In B Baria, elections were held in 15 UPs and of them, eight candidates from AL and the rest seven from the rebels won the elections.
In Thakurgaon, elections were held in 20 UPs and of them 14 were won by the AL and the rest six by the rebels.
In Joypurhat, elections were held in nine UPs and eight were won by the AL.
In Natore, elections were held in 12 UPs and eight seats were won by the AL and the rest four by the rebels.
In Rajshahi, elections were held in 15 UPs. Of them, 10 were won by the AL and the rest five by the rebels.
In Dinajpur, elections were held in 21 UPs and of them 10 were won by the AL and the rest 11 by the rebels and independent candidates.
In Jhinedah, elections were held in 15 candidates and of them only five won by the AL and the rest 10 by the rebels and independent candidates.
In Lakshmipur, elections were held in 15 UPs, and of them, six were won by the AL and the rest nine by the rebels.
In Madaripur, elections were held in six UPs and all the seats were won by the rebels.
In Jamalpur, elections were held in seven UPs and AL won all the seats.
In Shariatpur, elections were held in 15 UPs and all the polls were won by the rebels and independent candidates.
In Sirajganj, elections were held in 21 UPs and 15 of them were won by the AL and the rest six by the rebels.
Our Sunamganj Correspondent Al Amin, adds: Saiful Islam, former organising secretary of Bishwambar upazila Awami League, said there is no politics in the ruling party as there are intra-part feuds everywhere.
“There are no updated committees. Therefore candidates are being selected on the basis of money power,” he said.
Talking about the situation of the AL candidates in the UP polls, Mobarak Hossain, general secretary of Sunamganj sadar upazila Awami League, said, the central leaders do not nominate the candidates who are selected by the grassroots level leaders.