Jamaat and NCP Prepare to Contest Local Government Elections Separately, Fueling Speculation Over Coalition Rift

PNN News Desk | Dhaka

Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) are changing their political and organizational strategies ahead of the upcoming local government elections. Although both parties are members of the 11-party alliance, they are preparing to field candidates independently rather than relying on a joint electoral understanding in city corporation and other local government elections. Their positions have sparked discussions in political circles about the state of relations within the alliance. However, leaders of both parties insist that contesting elections separately does not mean the coalition is breaking apart; rather, they describe it as a strategy to strengthen their respective political identities and organizational bases.

The schedule for the local government elections has not yet been announced. Nevertheless, Jamaat-e-Islami has already finalized the names of potential candidates and instructed them to begin preparations for the elections. The NCP is moving in a similar direction. The party is also working to select its own candidates for different local government institutions and intensify its electoral activities. As a result, political observers believe that the possibility of the upcoming city corporation and other local government elections being contested through a single candidate under the banner of the 11-party alliance appears relatively low at this stage.

Meanwhile, the presence of senior leaders at recent political programmes organized by the alliance has also become a subject of discussion. In particular, the absence of NCP Convener Nahid Islam from Saturday's long march has raised questions about whether differences have emerged between the two parties. However, leaders concerned have dismissed such speculation as baseless.

NCP Member Secretary and Member of Parliament Akhtar Hossain said there was no conflict or distance between his party and Jamaat-e-Islami or the 11-party alliance. According to him, the NCP is pursuing its own plans to establish an independent political identity and expand its organizational strength.

He said the two sides continued to share common positions on major political issues, including the spirit of the July Mass Uprising, the end of fascism, the trial of the killings committed during the uprising, and the implementation of the July Charter. Their unity remained intact in pursuit of broader political objectives, he added. However, he maintained that every political party had the right to follow its own strategy in elections.

Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad also rejected allegations of growing distance between the two parties. He claimed that Nahid Islam could not attend the long march due to personal reasons and that his absence should not be interpreted as a sign of political disagreement. He also said the two parties continued to carry out political activities together both inside and outside parliament.

Hamidur Rahman Azad said Jamaat and the NCP were preparing to participate separately in the local government elections. However, he insisted that this had not created any crisis in the alliance's activities. He also expressed the view that the possibility of reaching an electoral understanding through discussions remained open.

On the other hand, political analysts believe that the NCP has recently taken initiatives to reorganize its organizational structure and reactivate inactive leaders. At the same time, the party is attempting to strengthen its independent political position through party programmes, meetings, rallies and election preparations. Against this backdrop, contesting local government elections separately could be part of the party's broader effort to establish its own political identity.

However, differing opinions have emerged over whether there is complete consensus within the alliance on the issue. According to several leaders associated with the alliance, the absence of senior leaders from major political programmes and differences over electoral strategies could naturally create a crisis of confidence among the partners. Discussions are reportedly underway within the alliance over candidate selection and the prospects of electoral victories, particularly in the upcoming Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporation elections.

According to party sources, Jamaat and the NCP have already selected separate candidates for the Dhaka North and South City Corporation elections. Jamaat has reportedly put forward its Dhaka Metropolitan North Ameer, Selim Uddin, as its candidate for the northern city corporation. For the southern city corporation, the party has finalized the name of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Vice-President Abu Sadiq Kayem.

Meanwhile, the NCP has finalized Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan as its candidate for Dhaka North and Nasiruddin Patwary for Dhaka South. Although the party's position regarding candidate selection underwent some changes earlier, preparations are now underway with separate candidates for the two city corporations.

Regarding the issue, NCP Joint Convener Monira Sharmin said there could be differing opinions within the party over whether it should participate in elections as part of an alliance. However, after considering all opinions, the party's policymaking level had decided to contest independently. She argued that since Jamaat was also preparing to field its own candidates, there was no reason to interpret the NCP's decision to contest separately as a sign of distance within the alliance.

Overall, Jamaat and the NCP appear to be moving towards independently testing their political strength in the upcoming local government elections. Although the two parties are preparing to take separate positions in the polls, the extent to which they maintain coordination on broader political programmes and shared demands will be an important factor in determining the future political equation within the 11-party alliance.