Awami League (AL) has given up six constituencies for its alliance partners under the 14-party alliance and 26 for Jatiya Party (JaPa) in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections slated for January 7.
"AL gave up a total of 32 constituencies for its alliance partners and JaPa. Of them, 26 are up for JaPa and six for 14-party alliance members," AL Office Secretary Biplab Barua told reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital Dhaka after handing over a letter to the EC in this regard on Sunday afternoon.
In the letter, AL informed the EC that it withdrew party candidates from 25 constituencies.
The 25 constituencies are: Thakurgaon-3, Nilphamari-3 and 4, Rangpur-1 and 3, Kurigram-1 and 2, Gaibandha-1 and 2, Bogura-2 and 3, Satkhira-2, Patuakhali-1, Barishal-3, Pirojpur-3, Mymensigh-5 and 8, Kishoreganj-3, Manikganj-1, Dhaka-18, Habiganj-1, Brahmanbaria-2, Feni-3, and Chattogram-5 and 8.
AL did not nominate any candidate for Narayanganj-5 constituency where a JaPa candidate is contesting in the polls.
Barua said AL nominated its candidates for 298 constituencies while five of them were rejected by the EC and they went to the High Court to regain their candidature.
"Now our valid candidates are 293. As we are contesting in the polls from the alliance, we have left six constituencies for three alliance partners," he said, adding that of the alliance members, Workers Party of Bangladesh got two seats, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASOD) three and Jatiya Party (JP) got one seat.
"We have withdrawn candidates from 26 constituencies giving out those to JaPa," the AL office secretary said, adding that 14-party alliance partners will contest in the polls with the symbol 'Boat' while all JaPa candidates will contest with their party symbol.
The seats given up for alliance partners are: Bogura-4, Rajshahi-2 Kushtia-2, Barishal-2, Pirojpur-2 and Lakshmipur-4.
Source: BSS