Dhaka: A new record has been set in this year's seven-step Union Parishad (UP) elections to be a people's representative without a vote. So far, 1,723 people have become people's representatives without voting. Of these, 369 are chairman. Apart from this, 396 people have been elected as reserved ward members for women and 958 people have been elected as general ward members without any vote.
In the seventh phase, voting took place on February 7 in 138 UP and in the last phase, on February 10, voting will held in eight Ups. Earlier, votes were cast in two phases of the first phase on June 21 and September 20 in 365 UPs, 833 in the second phase on November 11, one thousand UPs in the third phase on November 28, 836 in the fourth phase on December 26 and 606 in the fifth phase on January 5. Apart from this, some of the previously suspended UP votes were also cast in isolation.
The analysis of the results shows that in all the steps taken so far, the Awami League has won the post of chairman in about 53 percent of UP. Independent candidates have won 44 percent in UP. Most of the independent candidates are Awami League 'rebels'. Besides, out of 369 chairmen without voting, 365 are from the ruling party. Independent candidates were the main rivals of the ruling party's candidates for the post of chairman.
Awami League candidates won 2,134 out of 3,958 UP elections in seven rounds. Independent candidates won in 1,795 UPs. Most of the independent candidates are Awami League rebels. As the BNP did not participate in the election, some of the local leaders and activists of the party contested as independent candidates.
According to the Election Commission, earlier in 2016, voting was planned in 4,270 UPs. But that year, due to legal complications, voting was held in 3,981 UPs in six stages. For the first time in the country, the Awami League won 2,652 seats, the BNP won 367 seats, the independent candidates won 889 seats and the candidates of other political parties won in the rest of the UPs.