Nine candidates vie for RpCC mayoral post, one withdraws

The AL rebel candidate, Ataur Zaman Babu, stepped aside from the Mayoral race of the Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) poll Thursday noon, the last day of withdrawal.

Ataur Zaman Babu, who is the city unit Swechasebak League president, withdrew his nomination in the presence of AL candidate, Advocate Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, City unit AL vice president, Abul Kahem, and General Secretary, Tushar Kanti Mondal were present.

Returning Officer and director general of the Election Training Centre, Abdul Baten confirmed the withdrawal.

Ataur said, “I have stepped aside from the RpCC Mayoral race withdrawing the nomination paper to follow the direction of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. I gave my all-out support to the party candidate, Advocate Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia”.

Earlier some 13 aspirants collected nomination papers for the mayoral race. Of them, a total of 10 candidates submitted their nomination papers on November, 29. With Ataur’s withdrawal, nine aspirant candidates are now running for the RpCC poll.

The valid nine RpCC mayoral post candidates are Awami League nominated Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, Jatiya Party nominated Md Mostafizur Rahman, Md Amiruzzaman (Islami Andolan Bangladesh), Md Shafiar Rahman (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal- JASOD), Md Tauhidur Rahman Mondal (Khelafat Majlish), Md Khorshed Alam (Zaker Party), Md Abu Raihan (Bangladesh Congress), and independent candidates Md Latifur Rahman and Md Mehedi Hasan.

According to the poll schedule, the third city corporation election will be held on December 27 through the EVM system. Symbols will be allocated among the contesting candidates on December 09.

On December 20, 2012, the first-ever RCC poll was held. The AL-backed candidate, Shorfuddin Ahamed Jhantu, became the first mayor of RpCC.

There were some 4,26,468 voters in 33 wards of Rangpur City Corporation. Of them, there are 2,12,303 males and 2,14,165 females.