The long standing internal disputes in the Jatiya Party (JP) have again intensified over joining the upcoming parliamentary polls.
However, various leaders of both factions hinted that the two groups will finally join the national polls under the present constitutional framework.
Their internal rivalry has terribly increased over controlling party nominations as there are huge chances of getting financial benefits in the name of providing party tickets among the aspirants.
Highly placed sources exclusively hinted to this correspondent that within a few days, the JP top brass will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as part of political negotiations between the JP, which was the main opposition in the house, and the ruling Awami League.
The meeting is being delayed over the issue of including JP Chief Patron Raushan Ershad, also the founder's wife, in the party delegation.
GM Quader, the brother of party's founder HM Ershad, does not want to bring his sister in law to the probable meeting with the Prime Minister.
He wants to deal with the issue alone excluding Raushan Ershad at any cost.
However, the government high ups want to sit with the JP’s both factions at one table.
In the meeting, all complexities will be solved , a JP leader said.
Another senior JP leader on condition of anonymity said, both factions in principle are ready to participate in the 12th parliamentary elections.
JP chairman GM Quader is only waiting for a call from the Prime Minister. He will sit in a meeting with the high command of AL for seat reconciliation.
Sources said GM Quader, Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu and senior co-chairmen will sit in the meeting with AL.
They do not want to bring Raushan Ershad in the meeting as she does not hold any position in JP.
This faction wants Raushan Ershad to meet with JP the chairman and secretary general regarding the election issue and party nomination.
GM Quader will seek 60 seats from the ruling party and will try to remain adamant on reducing the number of seats to 50 on the basis of a compromise with AL
GM Quader could not be reached over phone for comment when contacted .
The JP secretary general was also not available for comment.
As per the decision of the presidium committee, the party's highest policy-making forum, even senior leaders are not willing to speak to the media on the issue.
They think that they may face problems in getting nominations if they speak to the media.
But on condition of anonymity, various JP leaders said GM Quader is completely ready to participate in the elections. He is now just waiting for a reconciliation meeting with the government high ups.
He is expecting a call from the ruling party, and does not want to sit in a meeting with AL on his own initiative
Many senior JP leaders said if JP does not participate in the elections, GM Quader and the party will suffer more as there are various internal politics going on within the party.
Recently 17 JP backed MPs met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Only four to five of them are with GM Quader. Again Trinamool Ja Pa i.e. district level leaders are with GM Quader. GM Quader will be left alone when the control of JP goes to the hands of Raushan Ershad.
Considering the consequence, both factions are fully ready to participate in the elections. Nomination forms will also go on sale to prospective candidates within two days. Around seven hundred potential candidates will seek nomination in eight divisions.
In that case it will take about 10 days to verify the nomination form and conduct the interview. This is why JP does not want to waste time.
JP has already finalized the election manifesto.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday received two letters from the JP.
One on behalf of GM Quader, and the other signed by Raushan Ershad.
A letter by its Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu, said, "The symbols and candidate nominations [for the upcoming elections] will be decided by our party chairman Golam Mohammad Quader."
But in the letter sent by Raushan Ershad, she said, "We will go to the elections in an alliance with the Awami League…But we will make our decisions independently after the polls."
Raushan signed her letter as the "leader of the opposition, a position she currently holds.
The letter by Chunnu, meanwhile, made no mention of any alliance.
On the issue, Election Commission (EC) Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath, confirmed that the EC received two letters from the JP.
The EC will make a decision in this regard and that will be considered final, he said.
Rubbishing Raushan Ershad's letter, JP presidium member and mayor of Rangpur City Corporation Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa said the party no longer wished to be known as a broker for someone else's path to success.
He said Raushan had no authority to make any decisions.
"We are waiting for the central decision, meaning the decision of party Chairman GM Quader. We are ready to implement that at the field level. For this, everyone has been instructed to prepare for either agitation or the elections."
He also said the 22 seats of Rangpur region, the stronghold of the party, would not be given to anyone.
Earlier in the day, Mujibul Haque Chunnu said JP would decide within a couple of days whether it would join the next national election or not.
Since 2001, the JP has flipped between its position on alliances before elections, often resulting in splits within the party.