AL’s Poppy wins Mymensingh-3 race after voting at suspended centre

Voting was suspended at a centre over irregularities during the Jan 7 general election

Awami League candidate Nilufar Anjum Poppy has won the Mymensingh-3 seat by a slim margin of 1,924 after a new round of votes were cast and counted at a centre that was suspended over irregularities during the Jan 7 general election.

The returning officer announced the final result on Saturday evening after fresh daylong voting at Bhalukapur High School polling centre.

The race was delicately poised on the day of the national polls, with Poppy holding 53,196 votes, while her nearest rival, independent candidate Somnath Saha, had 52,211.

As many as 3,032 voters are registered with the Bhalukapur High School centre, which means the ballots from the centre would decide the outcome of the election.

Poppy polled 1,294 of the votes at the centre in the new balloting, taking her tally to 54,490.

Somnath’s votes increased by 355 to 52,566 after the fresh voting at the centre.

The assistant returning officer cancelled the votes at the centre after the presiding officer reported theft of six ballot boxes when voting was underway.

Poppy is the wife of late Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, a former special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Awami League already secured absolute majority in parliament for a record-extending fourth straight term of Hasina.

With the Mymensingh-3 constituency consisting of Gouripur Upazila, the number of seats held by the ruling party in parliament has increased to 223.

Another constituency, Naogaon-2, is still up for grabs as the election to the seat has been rescheduled for Feb 12 after the death of an independent candidate from health issues during the campaign.