UP Elections: AL perform poorly in 4th phase

Awami League nominees performed poorly in the fourth phase of the union parishad elections, compared to previous three phases.

Independents fared well this time, winning 49 percent of the chairman posts.

In the fourth phase of elections held on Sunday, ruling AL candidates won 49.74 percent of the chairman posts, shows Election Commission (EC) data unveiled last night.

In the third phase held on November 28, AL candidates won 53 percent of the chairman posts; in the second phase on November 11, they won 56 percent; and in the first phase held in June and September, they won 76 percent.

Independents won 45 percent of the chairman posts in the third phase, 40 percent in the second phase, and 24 percent in the first phase.

On Sunday, polls were held in 836 UPs.

The EC so far announced the unofficial results of 796 union parishads.

According to EC data, AL chairman nominees won in 396 UPs and independents in 390. At least 48 AL nominees got walkovers.

AL insiders said more than 200 of the winning independents are AL men who became independents after failing to get AL tickets. Six Jatiya Party nominees, two Islami Andolan Bangladesh nominees, and one each from Jatiya Party JP and Jaker Party won in the fourth phase.

The EC has so far announced unofficial results of 2,985 UPs in four phases. The AL chairman nominees won in 1,674 UPs and independents in 1,251. Most of the independents are disgruntled AL men, said party insiders.

In the fifth phase, elections will be held in 707 UPs on January 5, and in the sixth, elections will be held in 219 UPs on January 31.