Amid claims and counter-claims over the party’s position about participating in the upcoming national elections on January 5, HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party’s three candidates in Dhaka are contesting with the party symbol of plough.
The three JaPa candidates, contesting in the 20 constituencies of Dhaka district, are Salma Islam in Dhaka-1, Syed Abu Hossain in Dhaka-4 and Kazi Firoz Rashid in Dhaka-6 constituencies. They all are presidium members of the party.
After a month-long drama over the party’s participation in the elections, two groups of JaPa leaders made contradictory claims after party chief Ershad was taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) by law enforcers.
Before going to the CMH, former autocrat Ershad made repeated claims that JaPa would not take part in the polls without ensuring all parties’ participation. The party also sent a letter to the Election Commission saying not to allocate its party symbol to any candidate.
However, the EC allocated JaPa its symbol, while the candidates were also using the symbol on their posters claiming they were candidates of Ershad and Jatiya Party.
During recent visits, two JaPa candidates were seen busy with election campaigning in their constituencies. Several thousand election posters had been put up and leaflets distributed, as the leaders communicated with voters.
While campaigning at Dulipar in old Dhaka yesterday afternoon, Syed Abu Hossain told this correspondent: “I have got so much response from my constituency’s general people. And I think our party chief’s blessing is always with me.”
He added that he was a candidate of Ershad and Jatiya Party.
Kazi Firoz Rashid, who was campaigning for the Dhaka-6 seat, yesterday told The Dhaka Tribune: “I am sure about my victory in election as a candidate of Jatiya Party. The people want alternative leaders as their representatives. Our party workers are facing some problems about the party chief’s statement on participating in polls or not.”
Replying to a query, he said: “JaPa candidates are taking part in polls with instruction of Rawshan Ershad and with consent of our party chief HM Ershad.”
A supporter of Firoz Rashid said: “We have already put up 1 lakh 20 thousand posters in Dhaka-6 constituency for Firoz’s support.”
Salma Islam, incumbent state minister for women and children affairs and a candidate for the Dhaka-1 seat, is also busy election campaigning in her constituency.