Ruling Awami League is adamant that its candidates win the pending elections in six city corporations so that the party can show the countrymen the strength of its ‘popularity’ before the next parliamentary polls.
AL policymakers also indicate their experience in the city corporation polls will be used in finalising the strategies or the blueprint to be applied in the general elections.
The city elections will offer the ruling party ideas about the role of the party leaders and activists, strength and strategies of the opponents, role or efficiency of the field-level administration and capacity of the new election commission, the AL policymakers believe. They say such ideas will help design the next political course.
With that end in view, potential AL candidates and leaders at the grassroots have been asked to prepare accordingly and conveyed that the ruling party has to win the six city elections ‘at any cost’.
The city corporation elections in Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Gazipur and Rangpur are scheduled to be held between December 2017 and April 2018. The general election is likely to be held sometime between October 2018 and January 2019.
In the previous elections, the AL candidates lost five out of the six city elections, except Rangpur, to the candidates backed by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
The BNP then termed the victory as its popularity and unpopularity of the AL.
In view of the previous experience, the AL policymakers reckon the elections to be a major challenge for the ruling party.
After the AL working committee meeting on Saturday, party president prime minister Sheikh Hasina directed party leader Badaruddin Ahmed to take preparations for contesting as party mayor candidate in Sylhet and Khairuzzaman in Rajshahi, party leaders told to the reporter. Candidates have also been primarily chosen for four other city corporations.
Khairuzzaman confirmed his party’s blessing, and said he had lacking in the polls campaign the last time when he lost the battle. “This time I am ready for door-to-door campaign,” he added.
Badaruddin said this time around as well, the elections are going to be held before the parliamentary polls and more importantly, city polls would be held with party symbols. “She (Sheikh Hasina) asked the party leaders and workers to reach every doorstep and snatch victory for the party,” he said.
The BNP, which boycotted the previous parliamentary elections in spite of winning city elections demanding caretaker government for supervising general elections, is also ready for the pre-general elections contest, said BNP standing committee member Khandker Mosharraf Hossain.
Expressing confidence about victory for BNP candidates, he pointed out that the AL tried with different evil tactics in the previous elections, too, but could not overcome the popularity of the BNP.
“That time, the Awami League did everything to keep the BNP out of general elections, seeing our popularity. But this time, the government will not be able to do so,” he added.
AL leaders said they have asked party leaders and activists to tell the people about development works and violence allegedly committed by the opposition forces. They will finalise the AL strategies for parliamentary polls only after city corporation elections, they said.
AL presidium member Abdur Razzak admitted that the results of the city elections would have impact on the parliamentary polls. He said the highest level of emphasis shall be placed on city corporation elections.
The AL was still hesitant about holding city elections considering any fallout of possible loss. However, the policymakers said, they believe the outcome would be different this time and they need to gauge the situation through this polls to draw up strategies for the next electoral battle.
The AL leaders believe the BNP mayors who struggled with litigations and warrants for arrest could not perform in the public domain while the AL leaders were active. Such a reality may pay off in the contest, they pointed out.
The AL may add another city corporation to the list by upgrading the Mymensingh municipality and announcing elections in the meantime.
The ruling party may maintain a status in Rangpur by nominating the current mayor Sharfuddin Ahmed. In Barisal and Khulna, candidates are likely to be chosen from the family members of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mijibur Rahman.
“The top leadership wants victory in city corporation elections at any cost,” a senior leader of the party told to the reporter.