NEXT natl POLLS
AL allies to push for over 100 seats
Unrealistic, say Awami League sources
Abu Jakir
Partners of the Awami League-led ruling alliance have decided to demand over a hundred seats out of 300 in the next parliamentary elections slated for 2019.
Some of these parties have sent lists of candidates to the Awami League chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, some have finalised candidates, while others are in the process of preparing lists.
The Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, a partner of the ruling alliance, has sent its list to Sheikh Hasina.
Other members of the alliance said, they will put forward their demand once the AL high-ups begin discussing seat sharing with the allies.
AL sources said the demand of the alliance partners was unrealistic, as many of these parties do not even have offices across the country. They would not be able to field candidates in most of the seats they are demanding, AL insiders said.
AL leaders said seat sharing with the alliance partners depends on participation of the BNP in the next elections. If it joins the polls, the alliance partners would not be given seats as per their demand. But if the BNP boycotts the elections, they might get more seats.
Of the alliance partners, Bangladesher Workers Party wants 30-40 seats, two factions of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) at least 20, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation 30, Shamyabadi Dal 4-5, Ganatantri Party 10-12, Gana Azadi League 5-6, National Awami Party (NAP) 20-25 and Communist Kendro and Ganatantrik Majdur Party want one seat each.
The Jatiya Sangsad has 300 electoral seats. In the last national elections on January 5, 2014, the AL had given seven seats to the Workers Party and six to the JSD and two each to the Tarikat Federation and Shamyabadi Dal. The other partners of the alliance didnt get any seats.
Although the combine is called 14-party alliance, in reality, there are eleven parties --the Awami League, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, JSD (Inu), Workers Party, Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal (Marxbadi-Leninbadi), Ganatantri Party, Communist Kendro, Gana Azadi League, National Awami Party (NAP-Mojaffor), Jatiya Party (JP-Manju) and the Ganatantrik Majdur Party.
When contacted, Workers Party general secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha said yesterday (Saturday): We are preparing to contest from 30 seats. But if our alliance chief gives us at least 15 seats, we will accept it.
Bangladesh Tarikat Federation chief Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary told this correspondent yesterday that he has sent the list of his party candidates to Sheikh Hasina.
We have sent a list of 30 candidates to the AL chief. Its now up to her to decide how many seats she will give us, he said.
Other alliance leaders said they want to contest the next polls jointly with the Awami League, and will accept the alliance chiefs decision.
AL presidium member and coordinator of the 14-party alliance, Mohammad Nasim, said they would finalise seat sharing with the alliance partners soon and hoped there would be no problem.
The Jatiya Party (JP-Ershad) is in the grand alliance, not in the 14-party combine. The party recently floated a new political coalition, the United National Alliance, and announced that it would contest the next polls on its own.
However, sources in the JP said if the BNP boycotts the elections, it would contest the polls independently. The JP has initially picked 200 candidates for contesting as many seats. But if the AL gives them at least a hundred seats, they will participate in the polls jointly with the ruling party, said JP insiders.
A JP leader, seeking anonymity, said yesterday: We will demand around 100 seats for contesting the polls jointly. We hope the AL will consider our demand.
