The ruling Awami League last night nominated Talukder Abdul Khaleque and Jahangir Alam as the party's mayoral candidates for Khulna and Gazipur city corporation polls respectively.

Awami League Local Government Nomination Board made the decision during a meeting at the Gono Bhaban with party president Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader briefed reporters after the meeting. He said, “They [Khaleque and Jahangir] have the potential to win the polls. They have acceptability and surveys show that they are in good positions. We selected them taking all these aspects into consideration.”

Meanwhile, the BNP's nomination board yesterday interviewed nine nomination seekers for the mayor posts in the polls, scheduled for May 15.

The party, however, could not finalise any candidate. It may announce its decision today. 

Khaleque, Khulna City AL president and lawmaker from Bagerhat-3, was defeated by BNP-backed candidate Moniruzzaman Moni in the 2013 city polls.

Jahangir Alam, general secretary of Gazipur City AL, was the AL rebel candidate in Gazipur city polls in 2013. AL candidate and Gazipur city AL President Azmat Ullah Khan was defeated in that election by the BNP sponsored candidate.

A total of 17 aspirants had bought AL nomination forms for the mayoral posts in the two city polls. Ten of them were seeking the party nomination in Gazipur while the rest for the Khulna polls.

BNP

The BNP may announce the names of its two candidates today, said a senior party leader, wishing not to be named.

The nomination board believes that the incumbent mayor of Gazipur City Corporation MA Mannan is physically unfit for contesting the polls. But as Mannan showed a keen interest in taking part in the polls, he might secure the nomination. However, it is the party's acting chairman Tarique Rahman who will make the final decision, said the leader.

For Khulna city corporation polls, the nomination board asked BNP Khulna Division Organising Secretary Nazrul Islam Monju to contest and asked him to let the board know about his decision by today, said party insiders.

Contacted, Monju told The Daily Star, “I told the board that incumbent mayor Moniruzzaman Moni is the perfect choice and he should be given the nomination.”

BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed told this newspaper that they had shortlisted the mayor candidates. Tarique would make the final decision and inform the media soon.