Upholding the returning officer’s decision, the Election Commission on Sunday rejected Kader Siddiqui’s appeal challenging the cancellation of his nomination paper in the March 29 Tangail-8 by-elections.
The commission, at its meeting held with the Chief Election Commissioner in the afternoon, turned down all the three appeals over the cancellation of nomination papers, including one of Kader Siddiqui following a hearing held at the EC Secretariat at 10am, an EC official told UNB.
The returning officer cancelled the nomination papers of Krishak Sramik Janata League president Kader Siddiqui (on the ground of bank loan default) and two others during scrutiny on February 26.
The two others are Jatiya Party (Ershad) backed Quazi Ashraf Siddiqui and independent aspirant Abu Sayeed Azad Miah, known as an AL rebel.
With the EC’s decision, there are now four valid candidates — ruling Awami League candidate Anupam Shahjahan, JP (Manju) Sadek Siddiqui, independent candidates Abdul Malek (known as AL rebel) and Liaqat Ali – in the election race.
The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 6.
The Tangail-8 seat (Basail-Sakhipur) fell vacant following the death of AL MP Shawkat Momen Shajahan, father of Anupam Shahjahan, on January 20.
On February 12, the EC announced the by-election schedule for Tangail-8 fixing the date for balloting for March 23 and subsequently rescheduled it for March 29.
Source: UNBConnect
