Five mayoral candidates will contest the Comilla City Corporation (COCC) elections, slated for June 15, as the Awami League’s rebel candidate withdrew his nomination yesterday.
Ruling party’s Masud Parvez Imran decided to pull out of the polls following a meeting with senior leaders, as the AL has nominated Arfanul Haque Rifat.
According to insider sources, the Awami League wants to make sure there was only one mayoral candidate in the COCC polls.
Imran’s father, senior politician Principal Afzal Khan, and sister, Anjum Sultana Sima, were defeated by BNP-backed Monirul Haque Sakku by over 35,000 and 11,000 votes in 2012 and 2017.
Twelve other councilor candidates also withdrew their nomination papers yesterday.
The Election Commission will allocate symbols among the candidates today.
Polls to six municipalities and 135 union parishads will also be held on the same day, using EVMs.