Aspirants from different political parties have started electioneering in the Sherpur 2 (Nokla-Nalitabari) constituency ahead of the upcoming 11th national polls.
All of the big parties have multiple prospective candidates for Sherpur 2, which consists of two upazilas: Nokla and Nalitabari.
Nokla upazila has 151,386 registered voters across 10 unions, and 67 voting centers with 302 voting booths.
Nalitabari upazila has 197,458 registers voters across 10 unions and one municipality. It has 72 voting centers with 408 voting booths.
The ruling party has three prospective candidates in this constituency.
They are Awami League Presidium Member and present MP Matia Chowdhury, former Krishok League leader and upazila Vice-Chairman Badiuzzaman Badsha, and upazila Awami League General Secretary Moksedur Rahman Lebu.
According to locals, Matia Chowdhury, because of her honesty and transparency, is the most popular candidate of the three and they expect her to win in the upcoming general polls.
Matia Chowdhury was first elected in 1991 for this constituency. She was re-elected MP in the 1996 national elections, though lost by a very close margin to her BNP counterpart late Jahed Ali Chowdhury in the 2001 general polls.
Between 2008 and 2014, she again served as the constituency’s lawmaker.
Badiuzzaman Badsha, who was a rebel candidate of the ruling party during the 10th general polls, said he would be guided by the people this time.
“My decision to participate as a rebel candidate in the 11th general polls depends on my supporters,” he said.
Meanwhile, from Jatiya Party, zila Jatiya Party leader Md Shawkat Saeed and Jatiya Cultural Party Central Committee Member Kazi Roji Siddique are seeking the party’s nomination.
For BNP, the party’s upazila Joint General Convener and Central Committee Member Fahim Chowdhury, BNP Chairperson’s Advisor Barrister M Haider Ali, former student leader of Chatra Dal Rashid Shemol, and zila BNP Joint General Convener and Nalitabari upazila Chairman AKM Mokhlesur Rahman Ripon are in the running for the nomination.
AKM Mokhlesur Rahman Ripon is quite confident about being nominated as he won the previous upazila parishad elections against a heavyweight ruling party candidate, despite being a rebel candidate of BNP.
The locals of Sherpur 2 constituency are expecting a close fight between the top two parties, Awami League and BNP.