The ruling Awami League is facing two crucial problems in picking mayoral candidates in Khulna and Gazipur city polls, slated for May 15.

In Khulna, the party is struggling to find a “popular and acceptable” candidate for voters. But in Gazipur, the AL is finding it difficult to choose its nominee as both the nomination frontrunners are “popular and influential” leaders, party insiders said.

Against this backdrop, the AL Local Government Nomination Board is set to meet at the Gono Bhaban tomorrow evening to pick its two mayor candidates. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, will preside over the meeting.

The AL is very careful about picking its candidates as it sees the city corporation elections as a test for the party's popularity ahead of the parliamentary polls, scheduled to be held in December.

The party wants to boost the morale of its leaders and activists by winning the two mayoral polls as it thinks that victories in Khulna and Gazipur will have a positive impact on the party as Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal will go to city polls in around two months.

The Khulna city AL in an extended meeting recently proposed the name of Talukder Abdul Khaleque, city AL president, as the party's mayoral candidate.

But at the end of the meeting, Khaleque, an incumbent MP and a former city mayor, announced that he was not interested in contesting the election. He was defeated by BNP-backed candidate Moniruzzaman Moni in the 2013 city polls.

“Since people of Khulna did not want me in the last election, I have decided not to stand in the upcoming polls,” said a meeting source quoting Khaleque as saying.

Talking to The Daily Star, a close aide of Khaleque said the lawmaker from Bagerhat-3 would have to step down as an MP before running in the city election.

If Khaleque is defeated in the city polls, he will no more be a public representative, the aide said, adding that is the main reason for his unwillingness to contest the mayoral election.

AL sources said if Khaleque sticks by his decision, then the party's ticket might go to Sheikh Salauddin Jewel, cousin of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Jewel has been conducting campaigns for the last few months.

“Khaleque is the most popular leader who has the potential to come out victorious,” said a Khulna city AL leader, wishing not to be named.

In Gazipur, several AL leaders, including city AL President Azmat Ullah Khan, Vice-President and former acting city mayor Asadur Rahman Kiron, General Secretary Jahangir Alam, city Jubo League Convener Kamrul Ahsan Sarkar Russell and its Joint Convener Saiful Islam are eager to join the mayoral race.

Of them, Azmat Ullah and Jahangir enjoy huge popularity among voters and are hopeful of winning the party ticket. In the last city polls in 2013, Azmat Ullah was backed by the AL while Jahangir contested the election as a party rebel.

An AL central leader said picking one of them for mayor is very difficult for the party.

Sources in Gazipur AL said the party has several factions in the district as there is a rift between district AL President and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq and Rahamat Ali MP (Gazipur-3) while the relations between Azmat Ullah and Jahangir is also not good.

Elections to the four city corporations on June 15, 2013 saw AL-backed candidates being defeated by BNP favourites. Things didn't change for the ruling party in Gazipur city polls on July 6 either as the BNP-backed mayor aspirant won the mayoral race.

In December last year, the AL candidate defeated by the Jatiya Party candidate in the Rangpur city polls while the AL nominee lost to the BNP candidate in Comilla city polls on March 30 last year.

Contacted, AL Presidium Member Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan said the party would not tolerate any rebel candidates in Khulna and Gazipur city polls.

“We want to win the elections as it is a very crucial time for us. We want to give a positive message to the nation ahead of the national polls by ensuring wins in the two cities.”

About the candidate selection process, Faruk said the AL would consider the names recommended by its grassroots units before picking the nominees. “We already have conducted several surveys on the popularity of the probable candidates and their contributions to the party. Considering all these aspects, we will nominate the best candidates,” he added.