CCC Mayor Post
16 in final race, IOJ pulls out
Staff Correspondent, Ctg
Sixteen candidates are finally in the mayoral frame for Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) polls after the candidates of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) and Jagrata Muslim Ummah Oikya Parishad pulled out from the race yesterday, the last day for nomination withdrawal.Seventy nine of the 387 ward commissioner (general) candidates and three out of the 86 candidates in women's reserved seats also withdrew their nomination for the May 9 polls, sources at the Deputy Election Commissioner's Office said. IOJ candidate Moulana Iqbal Bin Yakub, who announced his withdrawal earlier, and Jagrata Muslim Ummah candidate Maulana Abul Hashem Zihadi withdrew their nomination yesterday. Jamaat-e-Islami also withdrew six of its intended ward commissioner candidates after four-party alliance leader BNP agreed to the candidature of Jamaat aspirants Mohammad Iqbal and Shamsuzzaman Helali for ward No 41 and Sholok Bahar ward. Jamaat's commissioner candidates are now contesting at 14 wards -- five of them will vie as alliance candidates while nine contest side by side with the BNP candidates. Another coalition partner Bangladesh Jatiya Party is contesting the polls in only three wards. Islami Oikya Jote fielded its candidate for Lalkhan Bazar ward with alliance nomination.
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