Both factions of JSD want authorising own

Both factions of the recently split Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) yesterday demanded that the Election Commission (EC) authorises the single person whom each named for selecting chairman candidates in the union parishad (UP) polls.

A seven-member delegation led by Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu placed the demand meeting the chief election commissioner (CEC) and other commissioners at the EC secretariat around 11:15am, said EC and party sources.

A four-member delegation led by former general secretary Sharif Nurul Ambia led the other faction to a second meeting around 3:00pm to explain their logic, said the sources.

Afterwards, CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad told journalists, "We had initial discussions with them…we will seek more documents if necessary."

The rules say a political party must send a letter to the returning officer, along with copies to the EC, naming the person the party authorised to pick chairman candidates in UP polls.

In the first and second phases of the UP polls held on March 22 and 31, Sharif was the authorised person. The party split following a feud over electing the general secretary in its nation council on March 12.

The president and general secretary of one faction are Inu and lawmaker Shirin Akhter while Sharif and lawmaker Nazmul Haque Prodhan took up the roles respectively in the other.

Through separate letters to the EC, one group named Shirin while the other Nazmul as the authorised person to run the polls under the party's "Moshal" (torch) banner in the remaining phases. The EC on April 4 asked both factions to appear and give statements.