Star file photo.
A total 145 aspirants are set to be elected uncontested in the January 5 parliamentary election as they have no contenders in their respective constituencies.
Of the aspirants, 123 are from the ruling Awami League, 17 from Jatiya Party (Ershad), two from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, two from Workers Party, and one from Jatiya Party (Manju), according to today’s Election Commission statistics.
The number rose following the cancellation and withdrawal of candidacies.
As per the yesterday’s EC data the number was 128, which already broke the record of the farcical polls on February 15, 1996 which got 49 aspirants elected uncontested.
The last day of filing nomination papers for the 10th general election was December 2.
Only 651 contenders will take part in the upcoming JS election amid a boycott by the opposition. Each of nine other parliamentary polls held since 1973 had more than 1,000 candidates.
The BNP-led 18-party alliance and some other parties will not participate in the polls. The 18-party combine has all along maintained that it will not contest any election held without a non-party caretaker administration.
Worsening the situation, the Ershad-led Jatiya Party recently announced a boycott, saying the atmosphere for an inclusive election is absent.
Source: The Daily Star