BNP to share 70 seats with Oikyafront, 20-party alliance
Rafiqul Islam Azad, Dhaka
The BNP may share 60-70 seats among allies in both the Oikyafront and 20-party alliance though they are demanding about 100 seats of the total 300 constituencies. The party will field candidates basing on the prospects of the candidates concerned, according to party insiders. The partners in the 20-party alliance is likely to get 40-45 seats where BNPs major ally Jamaat-e-Islami is likely to obtain 20 seats against its demands for 30 constituencies. The rest political parties may be given 20-25 seats.
The BNP, which is the major partner in both the alliances, is however weighing the prospects of candidates of BNP and its partners, said the insiders. When contacted, BNP standing committee member Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain however said that they are yet to finalise seat-sharing plan among the alliance partners.
We have just announced our decision of taking part in the polls. We will sell nomination papers and collect information about parrys prospective candidates. Then, we will take decision about sharing seats with the alliance partners, he said.
He however said that the BNP in principle decided to field eligible candidate either from the party or alliance partners who have the most possibility of victory.
BNP standing committee member and coordinator of 20-party alliance Nazrul Islam Khan also echoed Dr Mosharraf saying that they have more than one candidate in each constituency. Despite this we will field a suitable candidate from the BNP or from its partners who has more possibility
to win. In that case, we will consider more candidates from the partners if they have more prospective candidates, he said.
He however said that the number of constituencies for alliance is yet to be finalised.
Replying to a question he said of the partners in the 20-party alliance, eight political parties who have registration with the Election Commission yesterday conveyed the EC that they could take part in the polls with the sheaf of paddy. He said the rest of the parties who have no registration expressed their willingness to take part in the polls with the sheaf of paddy. A city Jamaat leader preferring anonymity said they would demand for 25 seats where their candidates have the prospect to win. He said since the Jamaat have no poll symbol they would take part in the polls with BNPs poll symbol the sheaf of paddy. A Ganaforum leader said the partners in the Jatiya Oikyafront would like to demand for 40 constituencies. He said Ganaforum president Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday had a meeting with the partys prospective candidates. The Ganaforum leader said many parties in the Oikyafront including Krishak Sramik Dal are likely to participate in the polls with their own poll symbols. The BNP that had boycotted the last general elections had shared 41 seats with the 4-party alliance partners during the 2008 general polls. The Oikyafront and the 20-party alliance yesterday announced that they would take part in the polls slated for 23rd December as part of their movement for restoration of democracy despite the seven points demands were not made.
