With the Jatiya Party backed mayoral candidate seemingly far from the battle, a win-win scenario prevails for both the 14-party alliance and BNP backed respective mayoral candidates in the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) elections.
The 14-party alliance supported Talukder Abdul Khaleque and BNP supported Moniruzzaman Moni are now head-to-head. Campaigning by the two parties grows stronger, with all forms campaign strategies initiated to back the respective candidates.
However, though party leaders are very vocal in favour of their candidates, internal conflicts within both AL and BNP are disadvantages for the candidates in the upcoming elections.
According to local AL leaders, the conflict between Khaleque, who is also the Khulna city unit AL president, and Mizanur Rahman Mizan, general secretary of AL’s city unit, may impact the results of the election.
Followers of Mizan blamed Khaleque’s non-cooperation for Mizan’s defeat in the last general election in 2008. In addition, followers of former AL lawmaker Mostofa Rashidi Suja are also unhappy about the idea of Khaleque leading politics in Khulna.
A similar situation is persisting in the BNP camp, though according to leaders, it seems less harmful. Moni is receiving full support from the constituency of BNP lawmaker Nazrul Islam Manju from Khulna 2, but the followers of Ali Asgor Lobu, the party’s former MP from the same constituency, are seemingly inactive in campaigning.
Followers of Saharuzzaman Mostoza, Khulna city BNP president, Taibur Rahman former KCC mayor, are also keeping their distance from the party’s mayoral campaigns. According to these BNP leaders, electing Moni would mean that politics in Khulna would be dominated by Manju and Moni.
Locals acknowledged the main criticism against Khaleque was his misbehaviour and his income rising by more than 120%.
On the other hand, working against Moni are two decisions he made during his tenure as acting mayor when Taibur was imprisoned: evicting the kitchen market and increasing taxes on city dwellers.
Khaleque and Moni’s chances
The Khulna City Corporation is comprised of Khulna 2 and Khulna 3 constituencies. Though the candidates’ chances are equal, Khaleque has the advantage in Khulna 3, and Moni in Khulna 2.
Khaleque would be the first choice of voters since Begum Mannujan Sufian, state minister for labour and employment, is the MP from Khulna 3; also, the current government reopened all the jute mills closed during BNP’s tenure.
However, Khulna 2 is a BNP-Jamaat belt, and has many followers of former Muslim League leader Khan A Sabur. This may be why they won the previous election and why, according to locals, Moni is likely to receive more votes here than Khaleque.
KCC
A total of 440,556 voters, 21,662 female and 224,504 male, live within the KCC jurisdiction this election. In the last election, the number of voters was 399,398.
A total of 288 voting centres have been issued, and 208 of them are vulnerable, according to authorities. For security during the polls, over 12,000 members of law enforcement agencies will be deployed and 145 executive magistrates will monitor the law and order situation.
The election is scheduled to be held on June 15. The last day of campaigning is June 13.
