As the days of the 12th parliamentary elections are nearing, various political party leaders have started lobbying to bag nominations from their respective party leaders as candidates to contest the elections.
At the same time, speculations and imaginations are also gearing up among the workers and the supporters of the respective parties about the influence and popularity of the 'to be' MP candidates.
The candidates both from the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP from the Rajshahi-1 (Tanore-Godagari) constituency are active in their respective areas to make public contact through various meetings and programmes. Not only the candidates from Awami League and BNP are busy in pre-poll activities but candidates from other parties including the Jatiya Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and the Independent candidates.
Among the nomination seekers for the post of Member of Parliament from the Rajshahi-1 constituency are the incumbent MP from ruling AL Omar Faruque Chowdhury, former Mayor of Mundumala Municipality under Tanore upazila Golam Rabbani, Organising Secretary of Rajshahi district AL AKM Asaduzzaman, President of Rajshahi district Krishak League Tajbul Islam, district AL leader Akhtaruzzaman Akhtar, Reserved seat MP Adiba Anjum Meeta, wife of State Minister of Foreign Affair Shahriar Alam's wife Ayesha Akhter Dalia and former DIG of Police Matiur Rahman.
Once known as the stronghold of Jamaat and BNP, the Rajshahi-1 constituency bears importance in national politics. The constituency was ruled by Jammat leaders for a long time and afterwards by BNP leaders. As a result, the incumbent MP Omar Faruque Chowdhury, if nominated from AL, is likely to face huge challenges from BNP and Jamaat. Any other possible candidate nominated from AL will have to face the same challenges.
From BNP, a number of candidates are learnt to seek the party nominations. They are Ava Haque, wife of former BNP Minister, MP, Barrister Aminul Haque, Major General (retd.) Sharif Uddin, brother of Barrister Aminul Haque, Mahfuzur Rahman Milon, nephew of Barrister Aminul Haque, Industrialist Advocate Sultanul Islam Tareque, a close aide of BNP Vice Chairman Tarque Rahman and BNP leaders Shahadat Hossain Shahin and Sajedur Rahman Marconi.
From the Jatiya Party Advocate Salah Uddin Biswas and from Jamaat-e-Islami the name of former MP Professor Mujibur Rahman is mentionable.
As mentioned earlier, there has been discussion and criticism regarding three possible candidates of BNP who are from the family members of former BNP leader, Minister Barrister Aminul Haque. The candidates are: Ava Haque, wife of Barrister Aminul, his brother retd. Maj Gen Sharif Uddin and nephew Barrister Mahfuzur Rahman Milon. Of the candidates, many favour Barrister Mahfuzur Rahman Milon as the fittest replacement for Barrister Aminul.
However, local voters opined that there is no alternative politician from AL to contest the poll in Rajshahi-1 constituency except the incumbent MP Omor Faruk Chowdhury. He is likely to bag the nomination for the Rajshahi-1 constituency to contest the 12th JS elections.
Recently a survey was conducted on the Facebook page by an organisation in Rajshahi on the popularity and possible candidacies of the parties to contest the upcoming Parliamentary polls from the Rajshahi-1 constituency. The survey result shows that 56 per cent of FB users favour the Relief and Social Welfare Secretary of and three-time elected Chairman of Deopara union under Godagari upazila, AL leader Akhtaruzzaman Akhter. By receiving 13 per cent of support, Ayesha Akhter Dalia, wife of State Minister for Foreign Affairs, MP Shariar Alam, is the second choice as a candidate to contest as MP in Rajshahi-1 constituency. By receiving 12 per cent support from FB users, incumbent MP, former State Minister Omar Faruque Chowdhury remains as the third choice, Both the former President of Tanore upazila AL and former Mayor of Mundumala Municipality and district AL Organising Secy Asaduzzaman Asad stand as the fourth choice by bagging 7 per cent support and retired DIG Matiur Rahman got 5 per cent support as the fifth choice.
The same survey shows that 68 per cent of FB users want BNP candidate Ava Haque, wife of former Minister and MP Barrister Aminul Haque as the first choice while the next choice is Mahfuzur Rahman Milon who got 15 per cent support, BNP leader Advovate Sultanul Islam Tareque got 8 per cent support, retired Maj Gen Sharif Uddin, brother of Barrister Aminul Haque received 5 per cent support and both the BNP leaders Sajedur Rahman Marconi and Shahadat Hossain Shahid received two per cent support from the FB users as the possible BNP candidates.
However, if Jammat-e-Islami is allowed to participate in the next General Elections, former MP Professor Mujibur Rahman is a favoured candidate. Professor Mujibur Rahman has a good reputation for his amicable behaviour and humanitarian activities. He is also known as a clean chit and now holds the post of the Ameer (in charge) of the party. He is the most favoured candidate from Jamaat-e-Islami to contest the 12th Parliamentary polls.
Advocate Salah Uddin Biswas is the lone candidate from the Jatiya Party who is likely to bag the nomination from the party to contest the poll.
