Showdowns by and internal feuds among Awami League contestants and lack of enthusiasm in the BNP-Jamaat tent have been the highlights of the build up to the upcoming polls to the municipalities in Sirajganj district.
Those Awami League leaders who have not got the party ticket have been equally busy doing public relations as those who got the party’s nod.
VP Abdur Rahim for example might have not got nomination from the Awami League, but that has not prevented him from running as an independent candidate for the mayor of the Shahjadpur Municipality.
In the Awami League tent, MP Chayan Islam and former municipality mayor Halimul Haque Muru’s feud with current MP Hasibur Rahman Swapan has become more visible than ever as the elections approach.
Although the Awami League central high command has nominated Miru for the mayor run, MP Swapan had extended his support for VP Rahim.
On the other hand, candidates from the BNP-Jamaat tent are yet to start public relations in full swing in Shahjadpur. So are those candidates who have decided to run independently after being denied nomination from the BNP.
In Sirajganj municipality, ruling party’s mayoral nominee Syed Abdur Rouf Mukta, former district chamber president, has been strongly visible on the election field. Because he has blessings from local boy Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, a big section of local leaders and activists are already campaigning for Mukta.
This has been causing problems for independent candidate Swechchhasebak League leader Shamsuzzaman Alo, who failed to get party ticket.
Elsewhere, former fisheries minister’s wife Ashanur Biswas in Belkuchi, Nazrul Islam in Ullapara, Abdullah Al Pathan in Raiganj, and Hazi Nizam Uddin in Kazipur are all strongly doing public relations with Awami League nominations.
On the other hand, BNP nominees – district BNP general secretary Advocate Mokaddes Ali in Sirajganj municipality, Masud Raihan Mukul in Kazipur, M Belal Hossain in Ullapara, Nazrul Islam in Shahjadpur, Abdur Razzak Bhuiyan in Belkuchi and Nuur Sayeed Sarkar in Raiganj – are still to give their full efforts in campaigning.