Jatiya Party (JP) chairman HM Ershad, who is now undergoing treatment in Singapore, is likely to stay away from the Dhaka-17 constituency during the next national polls slated for December 30.

Grassroots leaders and activists have already expressed their anger over the rumour that their party chief would not contest from the Dhaka-17 constituency, sources told The Independent yesterday.

The sources, however, said that Ershad will return home from Singapore before the election.

Ershad has submitted his nomination papers for Rangapur-03 and Dhaka-17 constituencies to contest the 11th parliamentary election.

The Awami League (AL)-led Grand Alliance left the Rangpur-03 constituency for Ershad. But the alliance-nominated candidate, film star Akbar Hossain Pathan Faruk, will contest the polls from the Dhaka-17 constituency.

“Our chairman may not contest the polls from the Dhaka-17 constituency due to his illness. It won’t be possible for him to contest from two constituencies at a time,” the head of JP election cell, Prof. Delwar Hossain Khan, told this to The Independent yesterday.

He also said that Ershad himself will formally announce his decision after returning home from Singapore on December 22.

JP secretary general Mashiur Rahman Ranga told this correspondent: “I  can't contact the party chief at this moment. So, I'm yet to confirm whether he would stay away from the Dhaka-17 constituency or not.”

Earlier, on December 12, JP co-chairman Raushan Ershad withdrew her candidature from the Mymensingh-07 constituency in support of the AL-nominated candidate, Hafez Ruhul Amin.

According to sources, there are possibilities that more JP candidates will withdraw their candidatures from different seats.

Meanwhile, about 150 JP candidates have submitted their nomination papers under the party banner to contest individually in the upcoming general election. Many of them have alleged that grassroots supporters tore down their posters with the 'plough' symbol.

Grassroots leaders and activists have also expressed their dissatisfaction for not getting any directives from the party's central body regarding election campaigns. Most of the central leaders are now out of capital as they are busy in their own campaigning, sources said.