<i>Grand alliance's grand dilemma</i>

All 4 in Dinajpur-6 claim themselves as candidates

14 December 2008, 18:00 PM

Kongkon Karmaker, Dinajpur

Voters are confused in Dinajpur-6 constituency as four grand alliance leaders are campaigning in their respective areas, still claiming themselves to be candidates. Voters are yet to be sure who is the ticket holder. Contacted, Election Commission sources confirmed that they allotted polls symbols to Jatiya Party leader Md. Delwar Hossain Miah. JP is a component of grand alliance. Besides Delwar, three Awami League leaders are in the field. 'Deprived' AL candidate Dr. Azizur Haque Chowdhury brought out a big procession on Saturday in his areaGhoraghat-- carrying banners, festoons and a large 'boat', polls symbol of AL. Indigenous community leader Rabindra Nath Soren, who claims to be a Workers Party 'nominee', is also campaigning in the area, having about 50 per cent indigenous population. Dinajpur EC sources said Dr. Azizur Haque Chowdhury and Rabindra Nath Soren withdrew their nomination papers by November 30. The AL-led grand alliance changed its candidate four times, they said. Days earlier, the grand alliance asked Kazi AZM Lutfar Rahman Chowdhury of National Awami Party and Abu Hanif Sarker of AL to withdraw their nomination papers and gave ticket to Dr. Azizur Rahman Chowdhury. Accordingly, Dr. Azizul Haque Chowdhury filed nomination paper. But at the last moment, when Jatiya Party chief Hussain Muahmmad Ershad decided to remain with the grand alliance, JP candidate Md. Delwar Hossain Miah was given the JP ticket. The frequent change of nomination created resentment in the AL camp while BNP-Jamaat workers distributed sweets, sources said. Insiders in AL said party leaders and workers will not work for Delwar. They said Dr. Azizul Haque Chowdhury had already spent a huge amount of money for printing posters, leaflets and banners but the nomination finally went to JP. Contacted, Hakimpur AL president Akhtar Hossain Munshi also expressed his confusion, saying he is as he yet to be sure who is grand alliance candidate from Dinajpur-6.