Election not fair: JP

Jatiya Party, a key ally of the Awami League-led grand alliance government, has alleged that today’s municipality elections were not fair by any chance.  

“The Jatiya Party candidates even could not cast their votes in Satkania and Jamalpur Sadar municipalities and our candidates were harassed in several other constituencies,” JP’s Senior Joint Secretary Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan said at a post-polls press conference at the party’s central office today, reports Prothom Alo.

Earlier in the day, the JP leader alleged that ruling party polling agents drove out polling agents of JP from 174 polling centres of 24 municipalities during voting in Wednesday’s municipal elections, UNB adds.

Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan made the allegation while talking to reporters at the Election Commission Secretariat after lodging complaints to the EC during the afternoon.

A three-member delegation led by senior joint secretary-general advocate Rezaul Islam Bhuiyan, submitted complaints over the municipal election.

Responding to a question on the overall status of the local-body election, the secretary-general also said that the voting was not fair. There were many incidents of irregularities, fake votes and capturing of vote centers, he said.

Responding to another question on whether the party would decide to boycott the election as a whole, he said there was no decision on the part of Jatiya party to boycott the election. But some of their candidates, such as in Kuakata shunned the election.