'Attitude problem', lack of development, discord led to AL’s polls debacle in Rangpur

After a walloping defeat in Rangpur City Corporation elections, everyone is asking one question: why has the ruling Awami League suffered such a crushing defeat in the local government polls just about a year ahead of the general elections?

Some political analysts and voters have identified four main reasons for the debacle - the attitude of the ex-mayor towards the people, lack of development in the city as promised, the factional feud in the local chapter in the ruling party and the unity in the Jatiya Party.

The vote tally shows that the Jatiya Party has reaped the benefits of 'unity' in Rangpur, the hometown of party chief HM Ershad, which is considered as the political fortress of JP.

Sharfuddin Ahmed Jhantu. Photo via Facebook.

In Thursday's elections, Jatiya Party's Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa beat the Awami League's ex-mayor Sharfuddin Ahmed Jhantu by a margin of nearly 100,000 votes.

In Dec 20, 2012 elections, Jhantu pulled 106,255 votes. Mostafa secured 77,805 votes in that election as rival candidate suspended from the party heading the Trinamool JP. Another rival candidate, the city Jatiya Party convenor received 37,208 votes, together taking the party votes to 1,15,013.

The feud in the JP and more than one candidate from the party had helped Jhantu win the polls.

Five years down the line, on Dec 21, 2017, Mostafa bagged 160,489 votes against Jhantu's 62,400.

The Jatiya Party is part of the government now and at the same time playing the role of the opposition in parliament after Ershad staged a 'political rebellion' ahead of the January 2014 general elections.

Former president HM Ershad is an MP from Rangpur

Ershad had originally boycotted the Jan 5 election along with the BNP, but his wife Raushon Ershad decided to contest in the elections with the break-away faction of the party.

After a series of political drama, Ershad joined the polls and was elected MP from Rangpur-3 constituency. He is currently the special envoy to the prime minister.

Thursday's election once again proved that Rangpur is still a stronghold of the Jatiya Party.

Political analysts and voters identified four main reasons behind Jhantu's defeat in the elections which are:

1.  A negative image of the ruling party candidate encouraged voters to cast their ballots for the rival candidates.

2. Lack of coordination among ruling party leaders during elections. Some even said there was an indirect support to the JP candidates.

3. Though the boat was his election symbol but the voters considered Jhantu's past records as mayor and attitudes towards voters.

4. There was no division in the JP camp this time around.

#Mostafa

Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa was chairman of Rangpur Sadar Upazila Parishad in 2009. After being expelled from the Jatiya Party five years ago, he had formed ‘Trinamool Jatiya Party’, but he is back in the party fold and now heads the Jatiya Party’s Rangpur City unit.

#Jhantu 

Former mayor Sharfuddin Ahmed Jhantu started his political career by joining the Chhatra League long before the Liberation War in 1971. But, after independence, he joined the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal or JaSoD. He became chairman of Rangpur Sadar Upazila Parishad in 1987, municipality chairman in 1992, and an MP from Rangpur-1 constituency on the Jatiya Party’s ticket in 1996. He returned to the Awami League in 2001. Now, he is a member of the Rangpur District Awami League’s Advisory Council.     

What the people of Rangpur say

Moloy Kishore Bhattacharya, a former president of Sacheton Nagorik Committee, a platform of Rangpur citizens, spoke to bdnews24.com about the results of Thursday’s polls. “The public want their representatives to have people-oriented leadership," he commented.

“Everyone expects good behaviour, some respect from them. But Jhantu failed to do so,” he said.

Abdul Wahed Mia, a college principal who heads the Rangpur unit of the Bangladesh Association of College and University Teachers, also cited the former mayor’s behaviour as a reason for his defeat.

He said Jhantu's development record for Rangpur was 'very good'; even better than what Ershad has done in 26 years by representing Rangpur Sadar in parliament.

“The people turned their back on ‘boat’ even so because they were not 'treated well' by Jhantu,” he added.    

Wahed Mia also said the Awami League did not campaign much for its candidate this time.

“The Awami League neither showed any enthusiasm nor did it apply any of the formulas to secure the victory. That’s why the voters swung towards ‘plough’,” he said.

Rangpur District Awami League Organising Secretary Motahar Hossain Mandal admitted a 'lack of coordination in the campaign.'

He also said he saw people complaining about Jhantu’s behaviour.

“They are very angry at his attitude towards the people,” he said.

The discontent of the Rangpur residents over Jhantu’s work was clear in the comments of Motiar Rahman, a trader at Roghu Bazar.

“We are residents of a city only on paper. No street was developed in the past five years. The street lights don't work. There is no arrangement for water supply. People have voted for plough this time with new hopes,” he said.

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