Awami League blames rivalry between local leaders for defeat in Comilla city polls

Awami League leader Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif has said that the dispute between the ruling party's local leaders is the cause of the defeat of its candidate in the election to Comilla City Corporation.

Awami League Joint General Secretary Hanif said, "Rivalry inside the party sometimes affects local elections, and this was the case in Comilla. The dispute in our party negatively impacted the polls in Comilla."

BNP candidate Monirul Haque Sakku was re-elected Comilla mayor on Thursday by defeating Awami League's Anjum Sultana Sima. Sakku became mayor in 2012 by defeating Sima's father, Afzal Khan.

Hanif told a programme in Dhaka on Friday that no one of the party, who worked against its candidate in Comilla, would be spared.

"I've asked the organising secretaries to collect information. We will take organisational actions against them," he said.

The Awami League leader also said the party's popularity across the country cannot be judged through results of any local government election.

"The personal image of the mayors, union council chairpersons, members affects the local government polls," he said and added that there was "no scope of judging national elections by the local government elections".

"We strongly believe that the people will put the Awami League in power again under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina in the next (parliamentary) election," he said.