Withdrawal deadline today, EC moves to finalise ballot
Staff Reporter :
The deadline for candidates to withdraw their nominations in the 13th national parliamentary election expires today, as returning officers are set to allot electoral symbols, marking the final major step before the formal start of campaigning.
According to the election schedule, electioneering will officially begin on January 22 and continue until 7:30am on February 10. Voting will be held on February 12 from 7:30am to 4:30pm.
A total of 2,568 nomination papers were submitted to contest the polls. During scrutiny, returning officers initially rejected 723 nominations. Those decisions were challenged before the Election Commission (EC), with 645 appeals filed.
After hearing the appeals, the EC restored the candidacy of 417 aspirants. At the same time, six candidates whose nominations had initially been declared valid lost their eligibility following appeal proceedings.
The final number of candidates in the race will be known once the withdrawal deadline ends today.
EC officials said that if any political party fielded more than one candidate in the same constituency and more than one nomination survived scrutiny, the party must inform the relevant returning officer by today which aspirant will remain in the contest.
Independent candidates wishing to withdraw are also required to complete the process within the deadline.
The election schedule was announced on December 11. The deadline for submission of nomination papers was December 29, while the appeal process concluded yesterday.
Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarker on Monday said the commission was operating without pressure and was focused on ensuring a credible poll.
“Everyone wants a good election, and so does the commission,” he told journalists at his office at the EC headquarters in Agargaon.
He said the appeal hearings reflected the prospect of a competitive contest.
“The way candidates presented their arguments during hearings gives us confidence that they will maintain that spirit in the field as well,” he added.
With symbol allocation expected today and campaigning set to begin later this week, political parties and candidates are now preparing to formally take their campaigns to the electorate, as the country moves into the final phase before the February 12 vote.