Shawdesh desk:
The internal crisis of the Jatiya Party (JaPa) has deepened as the party’s chief patron Raushan Ershad, her son Rahgir Al Mahi Saad and their followers did not collect nomination forms for the upcoming national elections till Friday night.
The Jatiya Party earlier extended the deadline for selling nomination forms till Friday from Monday for the 12th parliamentary elections scheduled on 7 January 2024, so that Raushan, her son and others can collect the forms.
The main opposition in the parliament sold 1,752 nomination forms in the five days since 20 November for Tk30,000 each.
After the candidates submitted their nomination forms, the JaPa started interviewing the nomination seekers at its Banani office in the capital from 24 November, which will continue from 10:00 am till 3:00 pm every day till 26 November.
The interview of leaders seeking nomination in Rangpur and Rajshahi was held on 24 November. The interview of nomination seekers for Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet constituencies will be held on 25 November, and that for Dhaka, Chattogram and Mymensingh on 26 November.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters at the party’s Banani office on Friday, Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu said there is no division inside the party and the party men are united under the leadership of its Chairman GM Quader.
“Raushan Ershad is our chief patron. If she wants to contest the election, we will extend our support to her. We will give her nomination form whenever she will send her representative to us,” he said.
Mujibul Haque also said there is no time constraint for Raushan Ershad, and a nomination form will be given as soon as she wants to collect it. “If she wants, I will deliver the nomination form to her home,” he said.
He further said the main challenge in the upcoming general election is to get voters to polling booths. “We want voters to be able to exercise their right to vote without any hassle. We are assured that voters will be able to exercise their right to vote in the elections,” said Mujibul Haque.
The Jatiya Party secretary general said they will declare their final candidate list on 27 November.
“The party chairman can also change the nomination if he wants. He said if anyone works against the party candidate in the election or if someone disobeys the party’s decision and becomes an independent candidate, he will not be kept in the party,” he added.
Mentioning that the Jatiya Party is participating in the elections as per the party’s decision, Mujibul Haque said they want a suitable atmosphere for a neutral election.
The Jatiya Party secretary general also said the party will contest the elections with its own symbol plough in all 300 constituencies.
The rift within the Jatiya Party surfaced in August this year when its chief patron Raushan Ershad declared herself the chairperson, while its incumbent chairman, GM Quader, was on a three-day visit to India. Within hours, Raushan’s political secretary Golam Moshi told journalists that she was “oblivious” to such a notice and asked to find out who had conveyed it.
