Ershad withdraws from 3 seats
The Jatiya Party (JP) on Wednesday started withdrawing its candidates from the 10th parliamentary polls slated to be held onJanuary 5.
JP chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad on Wednesday withdrew his candidature from the three constituencies — Dhaka-17, Rangpur-3 and Lalmonirhat-1 — he was scheduled to contest. Ershad’s press secretary, Sunil Shuvo Roy, claimed that an error had occurred regarding the date of Ershad’s withdrawal from Dhaka-17 constituency. “The mistake was rectified and the withdrawal application was re-submitted,” he added.
JP presidium member Mashiur Rahman Ranga handed over Ershad’s withdrawal applications to Rangpur returning officer Farid Ahmmad and Lalmonirhat returning officer Habibur Rahman. According to the returning officers, the issue would be settled on December 31, the last date for withdrawal of nominations.
Six other JP candidates, including Sunil Shuvo Roy, withdrew their nomination papers from Khulna-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 constituencies. The withdrawal of the JP candidates now leaves only 13 candidates in the fray in the six constituencies of Khulna.
JP had given tickets to 299 candidates to contest in the polls, but 40 of them have failed to submit nominations as they were thwarted by the blockade programme of the Opposition BNP-led 18-Party Alliance. “We are yet to know exactly how many of our candidates have withdrawn their nomination papers. We expect to get a clear picture by December 13,” Sunil Shuvo Roy said.
Ershad had on November 18 declared that his party would contest the elections, but backed out in December. On December 3, Ershad had announced his party would boycott the 10th Parliamentary elections and had directed his candidates to withdraw their nomination papers immediately. “Do not put your lives in danger. Please withdraw your nominations,” he had told JP candidates.
-With The Independent input
