The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rafiqul Islam Azad

The four-party alliance is yet to effectively discuss seat-sharing among its component parties because the BNP itself has not succeeded to finalise its own nomination of candidates.

It is learnt that the BNP Parliamentary Board initially gave nominations to 263 candidates from all the 300 constituencies meaning that 37 seats might be offered to alliance partners.

Subsequently, the BNP leaders are leant to have told 13 of those nominees not to submit nomination papers with a view to accommodating demands of alliance partners. And there has virtually been no formal seat sharing talks between the leaders of BNP and other partners of the alliance.

Alliance leaders were likely to meet last late night to discuss seat sharing.

Insiders said leaders of the respective parties have instructed their intending candidates to submit their nomination papers today, the last date for filing nomination papers on condition.

"If the party leadership asked them to withdraw nomination papers by the scheduled date, after reaching consensus on seat-sharing issue, the aspirant candidates will have to obey the direction," a senior leader of the alliance said last night.

Source said the component parties of the BNP are expecting to get a total of 102 seats out of 300.

Of them, Jamaat-e-Islami sought 65 seats while Islami Oikya Jote 13, BJP 15 and Khelafat Majlish 9.