The Awami League-blessed contenders not only took the lead in chairman posts but also in vice-chairman seats in the just concluded elections to 81 upazilas amid wide allegations of ballot stuffing and snatching.
The BNP this time too bagged more woman vice-chairperson posts.
The Awami League-backed aspirants bagged 26 vice-chairman posts while the BNP backed-contenders secured 21 out of 71 upazila parishads as the remaining 10 upazilas’ results are yet to be announced, according to the unofficial results.
Interestingly, Jamaat-e-Islami won 17 vice-chairman posts as in many places BNP-Jamaat field their candidates jointly.
In the first phase of the elections, the BNP loyalist secured 34 vice-chairmen, the Awami League 27, the Jamaat 21, Jatiya Party four and others 10 while in the second phase the BNP-Jamaat-backed contenders bagged 66 vice-chairman posts while Awami League loyalists got 33.
The table was turned in the third phase with the Awami League leading in both chairman with and vice-chairman posts.
It bagged 40 chairman seats while the BNP 28. The candidates backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami continued to keep up its winning trend with seven chairman posts.
Two people were killed and hundred others injured across the country in the polls violence on March 15 while another person was also killed in an incident of pre-poll violence ahead of the fourth phase voting in Netrokona.
Each of the 81 upazila parishads has two vice-chairmen posts including one reserved for women.
In the reserved vice-chairwoman posts BNP performed well like the previous phases as they bagged highest 39 seats while Awami League 27, Jamaat 10, PCJSS 2 and others 5.
In the second phase, BNP-Jamaat altogether bagged 70 posts, Awami League secured 33 while six went to independent contenders, two to JaPa and one to the UPDF in the female reserved vice-chairman posts.
Interestingly the candidates belonging to the Awami League won almost all the seats where there were allegation of vote rigging and violence like in Kachua of Chandpur, Chilmari of Kurigram, Sadar, Rampal, Morolganj and Sarankhola of Bagerhat, Dinajpur Sadar, Nilphamari Sadar, Chauddagram, Nangolkote, of Comilla, Muladi of Barisal and Bhola Sadar.
Ershad’s Jatiya Party performed worse than the last two phases as they failed to secure even a single vice-chairman or vice- chairwoman post.
Around two and half months into the national elections, the Awami League-backed contenders had to face tough challenge by the BNP-Jamaat alliance in many upazilas.
The BNP-led 18-party alliance boycotted the national polls held on January 5 demanding elections under a non-partisan government as they claimed free and fair election is not possible under a partisan government.
This walkover gave the Awami League two third easy majority in the parliament.