A total of 139 upazilas are going to polls today in the first phase of the upazila parishad election amid a lack of enthusiasm and festivity.

The battle of ballots will take place among the independents, mostly from the ruling Awami League as political parties have not fielded candidates.

BNP and many other parties are staying away from the polls like they did in the case of the January 7 national election. The BNP said that the incumbent Election Commission is not capable of holding the elections to local government bodies in a free and fair manner.

However, at least 64 BNP leaders are running in today's polls going against its decision, said party sources.

Election experts have expressed concerns that lawmakers may try to influence the polls, directly and indirectly, as at least 50 relatives of AL MPs are running.

"There are chances that lawmakers will try to influence the polls. They have already established their supremacy in their respective areas. Trying to ensure absolute supremacy, they want their relatives and supporters to win the upazila elections," said Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan).

There is a serious lack of festive election atmosphere as many voters do not have enough confidence in the Election Commission, he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Badiul said many voters are worried whether they will be able to cast their ballots.

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal yesterday said they took all necessary measures to ensure nobody could influence the upazila polls.

"Ministers and MPs have been stopped from influencing the elections. Some steps have been taken in this regard. We have given instructions that no intrusion into the [polling] centres should occur," he told reporters at the EC office in the capital.

Asked whether the commission was facing problems over the participation of the relatives of some lawmakers and ministers in the polls, the CEC said, "There is no question of the EC being in a spot of bother regarding this."

In a meeting with the EC on April 25, field-level administration and police officials expressed concern that ministers and lawmakers were trying to influence the upazila polls which might pose a serious challenge to holding the elections in a free and fair manner.

On May 5, the EC sent a letter to the parliament secretariat urging the Speaker to give special instructions to the lawmakers that they should not take part in the polls campaigns.

'DON'T GO TO POLLING STATIONS'

BNP yesterday urged people not to go to the polling stations, reports UNB.

"The upazila polls will start tomorrow [today] and the elections will be held in four phases. We call upon all to tell their relatives, brothers and sisters not to go to the polling stations," said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

He made the comments while distributing leaflets among the pedestrians, vehicle drivers and passengers in the capital's Banani area, containing BNP's call to boycott the elections.

Rizvi said no one should support the "dummy elections" to the upazila parishads. "It's a farcical and fraudulent voting. People will not participate in the polls."

In Chattogram's Sitakunda upazila, chairman candidate Mohiuddin Ahmed Monju, also an executive member of Chattogram north district AL, yesterday said his polling agents were threatened by the supporters of his rival candidate Ariful Alam Chowdhury.

Asked about the matter, Ariful told The Daily Star that he would talk to the newspaper later. He, however, did not answer further calls.

In Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram, Sheikh Ataur Rahman, general secretary of Chattogram north district AL, alleged that his rival Enayet Hossain Nayan, science and technology affairs secretary of the same AL unit, was trying to influence the upazila polls.

Nayan, however, refuted the allegation.

In Naryanganj Bandar upazila, chairman candidate Ataur Rahman Mukul alleged that he and his supporters came under attacks from the supporters of AL thrice during campaigning.

"Voters are eager to go to the polling centres, but the ruling party men are trying to create a fearful atmosphere in the upazila," he said.

The EC primarily decided to hold elections in 152 upazilas in the first phase. But it withheld the elections in eight upazilas due to High Court stay orders and deaths of candidates.

Besides, there will be no elections in another five upazilas as all the chairman and vice chairman candidates in those upazilas have been elected uncontested.