Awami League-led 14-party alliance is yet to reach a consensus over whether the partners will support common candidates or make individual endorsements in the upcoming city polls.
Partners made conflicting remarks on the issue after a meeting yesterday in which the alliance was supposed to make a decision in this regard.
Ruling party’s presidium member and alliance spokesperson Mohammad Nasim told reporters after the meeting that the partners were going to support the three mayor aspirants that alliance chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had selected.
However, when contacted, Sharif Nurul Ambia, general secretary of Awami League’s partner Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), told the Dhaka Tribune last night that no such decision had been made as yet.
“I was in the meeting, but not at the press conference. I have no idea why Nasim Bhai said that,” he said.
Ambia also said: “No definitive decision was made in the meeting about single candidates. We discussed what our strategy should be for the polls. If BNP comes, 14-party will back common candidates, but that will not happen without discussions. If BNP does not then the partners can make their own decisions.”
He said JSD is backing actor Nader Chowdhury in the north of Dhaka and Shahidul Islam in the south. Both of them are involved with the politics of JSD, which is led by Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu.
Reserved female MP Shirin Akhter, also a presidium member of JSD, was present at the press conference but she did not oppose Nasim.
In the press conference, Nasim said that the 14-party alliance partners were also going to extend their support to the ward level candidates that Sheikh Hasina would finalise.
Hasina, also Awami League president, has already endorsed business tycoon Annisul Huq, former FBCCI and BGMEA president, for mayor of Dhaka north; Sayeed Khokon in the south; and AJM Nasir Uddin, general secretary of Awami League’s Chittagong city unit, for Chittagong.
Filmstar and former Awami League MP Sara Begum Kabari has also submitted nomination papers for the mayor in the north.
The problem of multiple leaders running for same posts is much more serious at the ward level for the Awami League. On an average, five Awami League leaders in each ward have submitted nomination papers for contesting in the councillor election.
However, things are less critical for the ruling alliance in Chittagong.
In a closed-door meeting at Hotel Peninsula in the port city yesterday afternoon, local leaders of the 14-party alliance reached a consensus to back AJM Nasir Uddin, Awami League’s choice for the polls there.
Chittagong-based JSD leader and lawmaker Moin Uddin Khan Badal informed reporters about the decision after the meeting.
Nasir, who is running in the polls under the banner of Nagarik Committee, was not present in the meeting although he is one of the top leaders of the alliance in Chittagong.