A total of 3108 chairman candidates have submitted their nominations in the elections to 651 Union Parishads (UP) to be held during the second phase scheduled for March 31, according to Election Commission sources. As the local body elections will be held under party banners, 15 out of the total 40 political parties registered with the Election Commission have nominated their chairman candidates for the second phase of UP polls. The political parties have nominated a total of 1,555 chairman candidates while the remaining 1553 are independent chairman candidates. The ruling Awami League has nominated the highest 645 candidates followed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which has nominated 587 chairman candidates.
The third highest number, 175 candidates, has been nominated by the opposition party in parliament Jatiya Party trained by Islami Andolon Bangladesh fielding 93 candidates. Among others, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) has put 24 candidates, Bangaldesh Workers Party and Jaker Party 6 each, Jatiya Party (Monju) and Bangladesh Communist Party 5 each, National Peoples Party, Islami Front and Jamiyate Ulamaye Islam Bangladesh 2 each, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islami Front and Bangladesh National Awami Party have fielded one UP chairman candidate each.  Though nine other political parties submitted names and signatures of their party chiefs or party leaders having powers to nominate candidates to the EC, they did not nominate any candidate to contest the polls.
These are Bangladesh Nationalist Front, Khelafat Majlish, Liberal Democratic Party, Jaitya Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesher Biplobi Workers party and Bangladesh Kalyan party, said EC sources.