The Awami League-backed mayoral candidate Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia will lose her security deposit after being defeated by Jatiya Party (JaPa) candidate Mostafizar Rahman Mostofa with a big margin in the Rangpur City Corporation election held on Tuesday.
According to the results announced on Tuesday, JaPa candidate Mostafizar Rahman Mostofa was re-elected Rangpur mayor who bagged 1,46,798 votes, while his nearest rival Islami Andolon Bangladesh's Amiruzzaman Piyal bagged 49,892 votes.
Independent candidate Engr Latifur Rahman Milon received 33,883 votes, Bangladesh Congress' Abu Raihan 10,549 votes, Zaker Party's Khorshed Alam 5,809 votes, Khelafat Majlish's Towhidur Rahman Mondol 2,864 votes, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD)'s Shafiar Rahman 5,156 votes and Independent candidate Mehedi Hasan Bony 2,679 votes.
According to sub-clause 3 of Section 44 of Local Government (City Corporation) Election Rules 2010, if a candidate fails to obtain 8% of the total legal votes after the counting of ballots, his or her security deposits will be confiscated in favour of the government. If it is taken into account, then Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia will lose her security deposits.
Dalia managed to bag 22,306 votes, which has created anger among local party leaders who now question the party's decision to back her in the polls.
They said that Dalia is quite unfamiliar among the people and she had no involvement with the voters prior to the polls.
The Awami League candidate, despite being a reserved seat MP, was not seen among the people while she was not seen working for the people of the constituency either.
Moreover, the party leaders and activists themselves did not vote for Dalia in the polls, party leaders claimed.
Many grassroots party workers told Dhaka Tribune that the candidate did not have preparations for such a big election. Those who had canvassed in Rangpur vying for the mayoral post were not given the AL ticket, party activists alleged.
Due to all these reasons, none of the activists actively participated in Dalia's campaigning.
At the same time, Dalia herself did not do much to involve party men in the polls campaign.
Commenting on this, Mostafizar Rahman Mostofa told Dhaka Tribune that Dalia's party activists did not support her in the polls. Otherwise she would not have lost her security deposit.
Party leaders alleged that Dalia even fell behind party rebel candidate Engr Latifur Rahman Milon, who obtained 33,883 votes. This has happened because Milon managed to involve the party men with him, unlike Dalia.
