Dhaka Bureau: The ruling Awami League will decide the ‘party independent candidate’ for the first time in the national parliament elections. Apart from party-nominated ‘boat’ symbol candidates, those who are deprived of party nominations in some seats and who can contest as independent candidates will be finalized by the party center. However, among the current parliamentarians of the party who have not received party nominations, none of them can be independent candidates.
During the exchange of views with the Awami League nominees at Ganabhaban, it was said from the top level of the party that some of the party’s nominee-deprived candidates can become independent candidates if they want. In this case, the party will not interfere. The high command of the Awami League also warned that party-nominated candidates should not put pressure on independent candidates to withdraw their candidacy and should not try to win unopposed. After publishing the list of candidates nominated by the Awami League in 298 constituencies, it can be seen that 72 of the current MPs of the party have not been nominated this time. Some of them have already announced their intention to contest as independents. Besides, many of the Awami League nominees in various constituencies announced themselves to be independent candidates. Conflicts have already occurred in some constituencies. Apart from this, many party leaders have declared themselves independent candidates in large numbers, and questions have been raised about maintaining party discipline in various areas. On the other hand, the party nominees are also in a state of uneasiness and anxiety about the independent candidates of the party.
Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said on Tuesday that after multi-faceted reports were published in the media, “Who will be the independent candidate of the party will be decided by the party.” It won’t be freestyle. There is time until December 17. We can change and modify it. We will have a strategic direction. After this speech by the general secretary of the party, Awami League leaders who are preparing to become independent candidates have started to be restrained.
It is known that the Awami League will allow independent candidates to participate in the election so that the party leaders who want to vote as independent candidates do not cause problems in the victory of the nominated candidates who get the boat symbol. According to the central leaders of the Awami League, thousands of leaders from the party can be independent candidates. If such a wave of independent candidates is created from within the party, they can become a ‘thorn in the neck’ for the party’s nominated candidates to win. That’s why the Awami League has taken a policy of reining in the party’s independent candidates.
An average of 11 people collected and submitted the nomination form for the Awami League to get a nomination in each seat. The center of the Awami League says that all the candidates were fairly influential. A central leader of the Awami League said that since many parties, including the BNP, did not participate, the candidates of the Awami League won unopposed in 153 seats in the 2014 elections, which caused controversy in various quarters. The Awami League does not want to see its repetition this time. The party wants competitive elections in the field to increase voter turnout. Awami League will be flexible about independent candidates to make the elections competitive and increase voter participation if BNP and their allied parties do not come to the polls in the end. The party has taken such a position to make the vote festive.
Independent candidates may increase this time: Independent candidates may increase in this election. Awami League candidates may compete with party-independent candidates in many seats. The number of independent candidates in the 11th National Parliament election was 128. Three independent candidates won that election. Before that, there were 194 independent candidates in the 2014 elections. Three of them won.
