Rangpur city polls: AL leaders yet to hit campaign trail for Mayor Jhantu

The ruling Awami League has nominated incumbent Mayor Sharfuddin Ahmed Jhantu for the upcoming Rangpur City Corporation election. Sources say leaders and activists of the party’s local units are not too happy with the central command’s decision. They declined to speak on record but insisted that they were working for their party. However, none of them were seen canvassing for Jhantu, although it had been a week since Prime Minister and party chief Sheikh Hasina handed over the nomination. Hasina had ordered 16 other aspiring candidates, who were present at the Ganabhaban, to work for the party’s chosen candidate. But the directive appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Many alleged that Jhantu never worked for the party during his tenure as mayor and did not even introduce himself as an Awami League activist. Turning the tides will be a massive challenge for the mayor. Party insiders said Jhantu had not contacted any leaders of Awami League’s district and metropolitan units since securing nomination. Party’s Rangpur unit chief Mamtaj Uddin Ahammed said they would meet on Saturday evening over the city corporation elections. But the metropolitan unit has not initiated any such move. Rangpur Awami League General Secretary Rejaul Karim Raju said: “Our leader Sheikh Hasina has nominated Jhantu from the party. We will follow our leader’s orders and work for him.” Raju sidestepped a question on why they did not hold any discussions after Jhantu’s nomination, saying: “We will not wait to see if he approaches us. We will work for the party’s candidate.” Metropolitan Awami League General Secretary Tushar Kanti Mondol and Vice President Dilshad Hossain echoed Raju and said they would soon call a meeting to fix a work plan. Shafiar Rahman, the chief the metropolitan unit, said: “We will work for the party’s chosen candidate as we did in the past.” Rangpur Awami League President Mamtaj Uddin said Jhantu had called him on Wednesday night over phone. “He informed me that an emergency meeting of the district unit has been called for Saturday. We will decide on our campaign strategy there,” he said. He replied in the negative when asked if Jhantu had been invited to the meeting as the party’s district unit adviser. Jhantu appeared to be confident about his victory. “I have contacted everyone. I hope everyone will work together,” he said. “Boat (the electoral symbol of Awami League) will be victorious.”