Minority voters to be ‘deciding factor’ in Comilla city polls

Then minority voters who account for around 25 per cent of the total votes are likely to be the deciding factor for the mayoral post in the Comilla City Corporation election billed for 30 March.

Though the minority voters are traditionally regarded as a 'reserved vote bank' of Awami League, BNP seeks to pocket some of them in the local body election, said many.

Both AL mayoral candidate Anjuman Sultana Sima and Monirul Haque Sakku of BNP are carrying out hectic efforts to cash in on the minority voters to secure their respective victory in the 2nd election to the city corporation, they said.

Sima is trying her best to protect her reserve vote bank while Sakku is conducting campaign to bag votes from a portion of local minority people.

Among the minority people from Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities, the share of Hindu community is the largest.

A total of 207,384 voters 102,329 males and 105,055 females will be able to exercise their voting rights to elect their city mayor, 27 general councillors and nine women councillors (from reserve seats) in the election.

Of the total voters, over 50,000 are from the minority communities.

In the maiden election to Comilla City Corporation held in January 2012 and previous elections to Comilla municipality, the candidates other than the AL-backed one had also been able to bag a share of minority voters as the elections were held in non-partisan manner.

But the scenario has changed this time and the minority voters are likely to be the deciding factory for the settlement of mayoral post as the mayoral election is going to be held with symbols of political parties.

Local AL leaders think that almost all the minority voters will cast their votes in favour of AL's 'Boat' symbol in the election.

However, a local BNP leader wishing anonymity said many Hindu people will vote for BNP's 'Sheaf of Paddy' symbol, although city unit Jatiyatabadi Hindu Dal, a pro-BNP Hindu platform, is not active.

Both the frontrunners, Sima and Sakku, are conducting campaign seeking votes in minority-dominated areas, including Gangchar, Rishi Patti, Ghosh Para, Horizan Para Namoshudra Para, Bairagi Para, Goalpotti, Buddhist Para, Thagore Para, Shashamn locality and Christian Para, in the city.

Meanwhile, a leader of local chapter of Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oikya Parishad claim that they all are not men of the ruling Awami League and the minority people will exercise their franchise as per their personal choice.

The BNP mayoral candidate said he does not believe that the minority people are the 'reserved vote bank' of any particular party. "I, being chairman of Comilla municipality and mayor of Comilla City Corporation, worked a lot for the wellbeing of minority people. I hope I'll get votes from the minority communities," Sakku said.

AL mayoral contender Sima said it is a proven truth that the minority communalities of Bangladesh feel safe while AL in office. "My father (Afzal Khan) worked for their wellbeing throughout his political life. I hope they'll vote in favour of 'Boat' showing respects to Sheikh Hasina."

The maiden election to Comilla City Corporation was held in a non-partisan manner on 5 January, 2012 when BNP-backed Monirul Haque Sakku was elected the first city mayor defeating Awami League-supported mayoral candidate Afzal Khan.

But this year, the election to the mayoral post will be held along the political party line unlike that of general councillor posts and reserved seats.

Source: UNB