Magura district JP president Khan Ziaul Huq said, 'Chairman Ershad announced the name of Hasan Seraj Suja as a party candidate at a public meeting at Nomani ground here on September 25 last year'. 'Ershad sought this seat for JP as one of his condition to join the BNP led 4-party Alliance,' Huq said.

Suja who is the organising secretary of JP central committee and general secretary of the party's district unit said, 'Our party chairman Ershad has sought Magura-1 seat as one of his conditions to join the BNP-led Alliance'. 'I got the highest vote among all JP candidates in 10 south-western districts in the last election, he claimed.

Suja, also a lawyer of Ershad said, 'So far as I know BNP high command and local leaders are also ready to extend their support to me for greater interest of the Alliance.' 'Alliance candidates Maj Gen (Retd) M.Majid-ul-Huq and Nitai Roy Chowdhury failed to win the elections in 1996 and 2001,' he said further.

District JP leader Captain (Retd) Khalilur Rahman claimed that Magura BNP had been dogged by internal feud for several months while top ranking BNP leaders are also expecting party high command's decision to let off the seat to JP if it joined the 4-party Alliance.

On contact, district BNP organising secretary Akter Hossain said, 'Not only for Alliance candidate, we shall work jointly for any party nominee but former minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury as he already lost confidence of party men.'

District BNP president and former lawmaker Quazi Saleemul Huq said, 'We are bound to work for anyone for the interest of Alliance.'

Meantime, Advocate Suja staged several showdowns at Magura Sadar and Sreepur upazilas, JP insiders said. He launched all-out campaign for the last several months, holding rallies and moving from door to door, they said.

BNP sources said, district BNP is now divided into two groups after being dogged by intra-party conflict. One faction is being led by its president and former lawmaker Quazi Saleemul Huq Kamal and its organising secretary Akter Hossain while the other by former minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury and its general secretary Ali Ahmed Biswas.

Intra-party feud in the party became public when two rival factions brought out separate processions and also held discussions separately to mark the party's founding anniversary on September 1.

Ahead of election Nitai Roy has been facing serious challenge from inside.