Fifth phase UP polls: Independent candidates rule the scoreboard

Independent candidates hit the top of the victory list in the fifth phase of the union parishad (UP) polls securing 50% of chairman post in 692 UPs. Most of the independent candidates are Awami League rivals.

The ruling Awami League, which could have capitalised on the absence of its key opposition BNP, has instead been battered by its own rebel candidates so far.

Although the polls have taken place in 707 UPs, polls were suspended at 13 UPs for violence and irregularities. Besides, the fifth phase polls were postponed in two UPs for other reasons.

According to the result of 692 UPs by the Election Commission (EC) published on Thursday, independent candidates held 346 chairman posts while the candidates with boat symbol got victory in 341 UPs.

Besides, the Jatiya Party and the Jamiate Ulamaye Islam Bangladesh got victory in two UPs each, while Bangladesh Jatiya Party was able to hold one UP victory.

The fifth phase UP election went through a number of violence with at least ten dead and around 100 injured. Including the pre-election violence, the death tally rose 14.

At least 85 people have died in the pre-polls and voting day violence so far.

The rise of winner without party

In the fourth phase on 26 December last year, voting took place in 638 UPs of 116 upazilas of 58 districts of the country. Independent chairman candidates won 45% of the seats.

At this stage, seven people were killed in clashes - four during the election campaign and three after the election.

In the third phase on 28 November last year, independent candidates had also secured 45% of the posts. Some 446 independent candidates were elected to the chairman post, while AL-backed candidates won in 525 unions. Twenty-one candidates from other parties were elected at that time.

Clashes, a predominant theme of the elections, left 28 killed and hundreds injured.

The second phase, which was the deadliest so far with 31 deaths, took place in 834 UPs on 11 November last year.

Meanwhile, due to Covid-19, the first phase of the elections was held in two parts. Voting was held in 204 UPs in the first phase on 21 June and in 160 UP elections in the second phase on 20 September.

In the first phase, 49 independents won and 148 using the boat symbol won. In the second phase on 20 September last year, a total of 29 independents and 131 boat candidates won.

At this stage, five people were killed. At present, there are 4,571 union parishads across the country. So far, voting has been completed in 3,733 UP.