Raushan won’t run for JS

Leader of the opposition in parliament Raushan Ershad has announced she will not participate in the national election because tested leaders of her party have been undermined.

“I took part in the 2014 and 2018 national elections in the interests of the country and democracy. This time, I also welcomed the announcement of the polls schedule and took preparations for the election,” the chief patron of Jatiya Party told a press briefing at her Gulshan home last night.

“Tested leaders of the party were not nominated due to non-cooperation from Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader and Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu,” she said.

JP sources say Rahgir Almahe Ershad, better known as Saad Ershad, may also not run for parliament as the deadline for collection and submission of nomination papers ends today.

However, Raushan’s followers are waiting for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “guidance” for resolving the crisis facing JP, Golam Moshi, political secretary to Raushan, told The Daily Star last night.

Raushan sought an appointment with the PM around a week ago to discuss JP’s participation in the polls and other election-related issues, he said.

Due to the deepening rift between Raushan and Quader, the JP may face another split soon, several pro-Raushan leaders told The Daily Star.

Asked for comment, JP Secretary General Chunnu yesterday said, “We respect Raushan Ershad as the party’s chief patron and the opposition leader. If she wants to participate in the election, we will give her a nomination form.”

A form will also be issued to the party’s Joint Secretary General Saad Ershad if he wants to run, Chunnu added.

“The rest of Raushan Ershad’s followers are not involved in the party and they don’t hold any party posts either. So, there is no crisis in the party,” he told The Daily star.

Chunnu said the party has been able to nominate some 300 candidates because there is no crisis in it.

Asked whether the party may face another split, the JP secretary general said, “Nothing will happen to the party. There is no division in it.”

He said every citizen has the right to form a party. “Five to six parties have been named after the Jatiya Party. But there is only one Jatiya Party which has the electoral symbol of a plough.”

However, the JP yesterday nominated Abu Musa Sarkar, general secretary of its Mymensingh unit, to vie for Mymensingh-4 where Raushan is the current MP.

The news was confirmed last night by Deloar Hossain Jalali, press secretary to Quader.

Rejecting Chunnu’s claims, Golam Moshi alleged that Quader and Chunnu created obstacles to the participation of Raushan, Saad Ershad and their loyal leaders.

Quader earlier said that the national election would not be free and fair under the Awami League government.

Raushan on the other hand maintained that the JP must participate in the national election in line with the constitution.

The party on November 22 announced that it would participate in the polls as it was assured by different stakeholders, including the Election Commission, that polls would be free and fair.

On November 27, the JP announced a list of its candidates in 287 seats. According to the list, Quader will run in Rangpur-3 and Dhaka-17.

Saad Ershad, the incumbent MP from Rangpur-3, said his uncle Quader “hijacked” his constituency which was earlier represented in parliament by his late father HM Ershad.

According to sources, the JP suggested Saad vie for Dhaka-7.