Many leaders of the ruling Awami League (AL) think that just a couple of months before the national election, the city polls results are an ominous signal for AL, ultimately showing people’s lack of confidence in the present government.
Mid-tier and grassroot leaders of AL thought that failures of the government overshadowed its successes in the just concluded polls. They said issues like share market debacle, Padma Bridge corruption conspiracy, Hall-Mark etc dominated the city polls, but the senior leaders of the ruling party were not ready to admit those failures in public.
Now, they consider intra-party conflict, organisational deadlock and overconfidence were the causes of failure in the city polls.
A member of the ruling AL’s secretariat said the city polls results sent a message to the countrymen and also frustrated party members.
“Government’s failure, ignoring veteran leaders, dependency on bureaucrat-turned politicians, share market issue, Padma Bridge issue and religious propaganda are the main reasons behind this failure,” he said wishing not to be named.
AL presidium member Kazi Zafarullah expressed his concern that the city polls result might impact the national elections. “We are evaluating the city polls result and looking for a way out of this situation,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
The ruling party leaders are now taking Gazipur City Corporation election seriously. Party sources said the government wanted to prove its popularity to the people with a victory in Gazipur polls scheduled for July 6.
But in Gazipur City Corporation election, Awami League has two contending candidates. Ruling party leader and former Vice Chairman of Gazipur Sadar upazila M Jahangir Alam is contesting the polls violating the party’s decision. The AL-led 14-party alliance has already given its support to former Gazipur municipal Chairman and district AL General Secretary Azamat Ullah.
Awami League has tried several times to convince Jahangir Alam but failed. Party sources said the top leaders of the party were trying continuously to persuade Jahangir.
AL Dhaka division Organising Secretary Ahmod Hossain said the party was taking Gazipur election seriously. He said they were trying their best to convince Jahangir not to contend. “If Jahangir does not obey the party’s decision, he will be expelled,” he said.
The AL is now searching for a way out of the situation. Senior leaders and decision makers are now in agreement that they have to make the party more dynamic and take strong preparations for the upcoming national elections.
Sources within the party confirmed that the AL’s central working committee would meet soon to find a solution and make decisions about the party’s future strategy.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL chief, at the cabinet meeting yesterday asked the ministers and ruling party leaders to analyse the polls results and find out reasons behind defeats of all the AL-backed candidates.
She asked Agriculture Minister Motia Chowdhury to find out the main reason of defeat and resolve the problems immediately, cabinet meeting sources said.
Motia reportedly said it would not be possible for one person to solve the party problems at the grass roots level. Accomplishing it would require some other responsible leaders, sources quoted Motia to have said.
However, she assured the PM of taking steps in this regard and added that she would talk about the matter with her (Hasina) later.
Meanwhile, AL sources said the party was going to take several initiatives to strengthen the organisation from the root level to the top through tour programmes, immediate conclusion of district and thana conferences and strengthening relationships between MPs and local party leaders.
Through these initiatives, the party also wants to reduce the tension and frustration that has built up in its root-level leaders and workers since city polls result.
AL presidium member Abdul Latif Siddiqui told the Dhaka Tribune that the party would boost its organisational activities in the coming days.
The AL leader said the party’s highest decision making forum, the working committee, would meet soon to take decisions on the next course of action.
Sources inside Awami League said most senior party leaders were frustrated over the city polls results, although in public they are echoing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by saying that the victory was government’s as it had successfully held free and fair polls.
He also said that to overcome the situation, Awami League leaders should take initiatives to strengthen the party’s root-level and launch a solid campaign against religious propaganda.