Upazila polls: Nepotism by AL MPs, ministers irks high-ups

The Awami League high command is annoyed with some ministers and party lawmakers for announcing the names of their close relatives as chairman candidates for the upcoming upazila polls.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, will clear her stance on the issue in a meeting of the AL central working committee after Eid-ul-Fitr, The Daily Star has learnt from party officials informed with the proceedings.

Hasina will set the guidelines for selecting the party favourites at the meeting, they said.

The AL has decided not to allow candidates to use its electoral symbol in the local government election and not to nominate candidates for the polls, to be held in four phases from May 8.

However, over a dozen ministers and MPs have already declared the names of "party candidates" in their respective upazilas. Some of them named their close relatives as "party candidates" to tighten their grip on the local AL units.

Although AL wants to allow the party leaders to contest the election, it is seeking to keep the number of candidates limited as the party's high command thinks too many candidates may worsen the internal feud at the grassroots level.

The party has also warned the ministers and lawmakers not to interfere in the upazila polls.

The district and upazila units of AL may be empowered to bring down the number of contenders or pick a single candidate in each upazila through consensus, according to party officials.

The party is encouraging the district and upazila units to hold discussions with the upazila chairman aspirants and finalise a single candidate, they said.

"Responsible persons should act responsibly. It is unfortunate if any MP named his son or wife or any relative as the 'party candidate' for the upazila polls," Mahbubul Alam Hanif, AL joint general secretary, told The Daily Star.

About the possibility of bringing down the number of candidates from AL leaders, Hanif said the district AL has a role in minimising disputes within the party.

"Awami League's district units may go for picking a single candidate for the upazilas in their respective districts through discussion for the sake of the party," he added.