Only one day left for Mymensingh City Corporation polls. The official campaign will end on Thursday (March 7). Endless last-minute candidates continue to jostle for voter support. On the other hand voters are also waiting for the polling day. The Election Commission said that all preparations are in place for a fair and peaceful polling.
Various areas can be seen, processions, meetings, songs, slogans, campaigning on microphones, camping at various intersections, asking for votes from house to house, endless running of leaders-activists-supporters with leaflets, asking for votes. Mymensingh has become a waking city.
On the one hand, campaigning has gained momentum as the date of election is approaching, on the other hand, there has been some concern among the general voters due to threats and threats to the candidates and workers-supporters in different wards of the city. In these incidents, many fears have been created about fair and peaceful voting.
However, the election related authorities have said that all preparations are in place for a fair and peaceful polling. The city dwellers are expecting that the election will be peaceful in the end.
Apart from Awami League and Jatiya Party, no other party leader came to compete for the mayoral post this time. As the ruling party Awami League has declared the elections open without giving party symbols, several leaders from the party have entered the contest. As a result, the political leaders think that the election will be very competitive.
According to the sources of the Election Commission, the first mayor of the city corporation and the president of the metropolitan Awami League. Ikramul Haque Titu wall clock symbol, district Awami League president Ehtesamul Alam horse symbol, city Awami League former president Adv. Sadekul Haque Khan milky toju elephant symbol and farmer league leader agriculturist Dr. Rezaul Haque is contesting with the deer symbol. On the other hand, Shahidul Islam Swapan Mandal is fighting as the nominated candidate of Jatiya Party with party symbol plow.
Election experts are of the opinion that the main competition will be between the Awami League party candidates in the poll campaign and discussion criticism. Many people think that in the end, the main challenge may be between the current mayor Ikramul Haque Titu’s wall clock and Awami League leader Sadekul Haque Milky Toju’s elephant symbol. After seeing the campaigns, aware people think that Ikramul Haque Titu is in a very advantageous position in the polling field.
However, according to the opponents of the government, since the BNP and other parties did not come to the polls, the votes of the Awami League opponents in the polling field and the silent general votes will play a major controlling role. How many anti-Awami voters turn up at polling stations is also a big issue. However, since there are councilors and reserved women councilor candidates, many people think that a part of those voters will appear at the center. In that case, the votes of these silent voters can play a big role in determining victory or defeat.
Meanwhile, the candidates who won the hearts of the voters are spreading the bouquet of various promises. Notable mayoral candidates have already announced their election manifestos by holding separate press conferences.
Among the five mayoral candidates, three candidates of Awami League held a press conference at the Mymensingh Press Club and announced the election manifesto containing several promises.
In this, the former general secretary of Mymensingh City Awami League, the mayoral candidate of Hati Prateek, advocate Sadekul Haque Khan Milky Toju announced his post-election action plan with 15-point promises on February 26.
Then on Saturday (March 2), the district Awami League president, Ghora Prateik’s mayoral candidate Ehteshamul Alam announced the election manifesto with 20-point promises.
A day later on March 3, a press conference was held at the Mymensingh Press Club auditorium by former mayor and mayoral candidate of the table clock symbol, Mymensingh Metropolitan Awami League President Ikramul Haque Titu. He also announced a manifesto with 23 points of various public welfare promises.
Also, the candidates are making immediate promises in a free style in the face of various demands of the voters while asking for votes.
In order to pass the electoral process, the mayoral candidates are promising to solve the problems and development of the city residents, and the conscious civil society has questions about how much it is possible for them to implement it or how much their capacity is.
In this regard, CPB Mymensingh District Branch President Advocate Emdadul Haque Millat told Jago News that many promises are made in the election field to lure voters. But in the end, all the people of the country know how much it can be implemented. People always get such promises when the polls come but they can show little of their implementation.
On the other hand, the councilor candidates do not stop with the mayoral candidates. They are also making various promises to the voters while campaigning. In many cases, it has been seen that councilors and women councilor candidates are promising to implement all the tasks that are not possible for the councilors.
Apart from this, it is known that in various wards, there are complaints of various obstacles in campaigning on behalf of several councilor candidates. There are also allegations of assault and vandalism at election camps of several ward councilor candidates.
As part of the campaign, on Thursday, the candidate of the wall clock symbol, Ikramul Haque, conducted mass communication with the workers in Vidyamoyi School area, College Road, Naomahal, Naharod, Sankipara area of Titu Nagar.
Candidate for elephant symbol Sadekul Haque Khan Toju Milki Charpara and surrounding areas. Horse symbol candidate Ehtesamul Alam has held mass in the surrounding areas including Bridge Junction, Rally Junction. Apart from this, other candidates have held public meetings and sought votes in different areas of the city. They all expressed hope for fair elections and their own victory.
Ehteshamul Alam, candidate of the horse symbol, told Jago News that the election environment will be good and beautiful, we are working according to the code of conduct. The Election Commission Fair has delivered a national election that has been hailed the world over. People are eager to vote for honest and qualified candidates in city corporation elections.
Jatiya Party’s plow symbol candidate Shahidul Islam Swapan Mondal said ‘Votes will be divided between Awami League. And Jatiya Party has a big vote bank here. In that case I am optimistic about winning.
Elephant symbol candidate Sadiqul Haque Khan Milki said, if I win, I will build a beautiful city that is clean and traffic free. That is why I am hopeful that the people of the city will choose me. The Election Commission says that if the candidate commits irregularities, his candidature will be cancelled. If the Election Commission is strict then the election will be fair.
Ghari Pratik mayoral candidate Ikramul Haque Titu told Jago News that the people of the city will once again trust in my Ghari Pratik to do the unfinished work of development. In the last five years, due to the global crisis, 100% development was not possible. I can complete the ongoing development work if common people give me their support. Along with the general public, activists are also with me. Hopefully, victory will come easily.
District Returning Officer Shafiqul Islam said that candidates are being warned and fined for violating the code of conduct. However, he claimed that polling environment is calm and normal even though some untoward incidents have happened so far.
He said that all measures will be taken to make the elections fair and peaceful. The administration is always on alert.
3 lakh 36 thousand 496 voters in Mymensingh city in this election. Among them, 1 lakh 63 thousand 832 men, 1 lakh 72 thousand 655 women and 9 voters of the third gender. They will vote in 128 centers in EVMs on March 9. Apart from five candidates for the post of mayor, there are 149 candidates for the post of general councilor and 69 candidates for the post of 11 reserved women councilors in the 33 wards of the city. However, since Farhad Alam was elected unopposed as a councilor in the 11th ward of the city, the election will be held for this position in 32 wards.
