The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

Chittagonian people probably have turned about from the politics of the BNP led four-party alliance as the answer to the gross negligence and deceptions made to them mainly during its misrule until 2006 from 2001.

According to a senior political analysts here in the port city, the overwhelming victory of the Awami League led grand-alliance candidates especially in the stronghold of the BNP-Jamaat alliance may easily be dubbed as vote revolution against the misrule of the alliance government.

Candidates of the Awami League led grand-alliance this time clinched 11 of the 16 constituencies in Chittagong setting new records of popular votes drawn in their favour where as the four-party alliance had acquired 12 of the 15 seats in 2001 elections.

Seven of the candidates in the region have seen first-time win. Four of which are fresh contestants while four former members of the parliament retained their respective seats.

The BNP started gaining popularity in this region after the fall of military autocrat HM Ershad regime in 1990. It bagged eight of the 15 seats in 1991 and 10 seats in 1996 elections respectively where as the Awami League had only five seats at both the elections.

Most of the successful candidates of the grand-alliance this time bagged on an average over one lakh votes and defeated their contenders at a margin of 10 to 25 thousand votes, while the members of the 8th and 7th parliaments bagged well bellow 100 thousand votes.

"Higher turn out of the voters is the main reason of the margin between the first and second candidates," an official of the Election Commission said adding that this election would certainly guide the future elections what was not only clam and disciplined but also most credible one.

Making the commercial capital of the country here in the port city had been a farce what was mostly promoted by the alliance government. The alliance government neither addressed the long standing demands of the port city nor did it pay adequate heed to the basics of the city that had been generating highest revenue for the national exchequer.

"It is grossly hoped that the upcoming government will not make the similar mistake and get them away from the people," Mohiuddin Ahmed, a senior college teacher said referring to the defeats of the heavyweight candidates of the four-party alliance - Abdullah Al Noman, Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Wahidul Alam.

Many of the citizens are hopeful of relatively better governance of the state this time by the grand-alliance and over all development of the region.