After declaring him 'unwanted' in both Sreepur and Sadar upazilas, 12 nomination aspirants and presidents and secretaries of BNP's fronts in the district in their latest move met BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan at his residence in Dhaka on Sunday and urged him not to nominate Nitai Roy from Magura-1, saying he is not a voter from the constituency.

On the same day, they submitted three petitions to party chairperson Khaleda Zia, secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuyan and joint-secretary general Tarique Rahman, detailing the situation in the constituency and reaffirming their stand against Nitai Roy.

In the petitions, the nomination seekers however said, all of them would seek nomination but would work together for any nominee except Nitai Roy.

The petitions were signed by nomination seekers central Zia Parishad chairman Kabir Murad; former JCD (Jatiyotadadi Chattra Dal) central leader Monwar Hossain Khan; former chairman of Magura municipality Iqbal Akhter Khan Kafur; Brig Gen (Rtd.) Masudur Rahman Khan; retired engineer AN Kamaluddin Mustafa; former district BNP secretary Advocate Ahmed Hossain; former president of Sadar upazila BNP Kazi Abdul Aala; district BNP joint-conveners Nazimuddin Ahmed, Mokaddes Hossain and Akhter Hossain; and party leaders Mohammad Ali and industrialist Zahidul Islam.

When contacted, Kabir Murad said, "We submitted the petitions to make our leaders understand that the party should nominate a popular and acceptable candidate to regain the seat because Nitai Roy is not a man from Magura-1 and he has lost confidence of people and party men".

Former minister in Ershad government and a central BNP leader now, advocate Nitai Roy Chowdhury was nominated from Magura-1 constituency in 2001 election as a 4-party alliance candidate. He is a voter from Magura-2 constituency (comprising Mohammadpur and Shalikha upazilas and four unions of Magura sadar upazila).

He was defeated by Awami League (AL) candidate MS Akbar as most BNP workers were frustrated at his nomination, said Akter Hossain, ticket seeker.

Party men were in Magura-1 were not happy with him as he was not a voter from the area said another nomination aspirant Mohammad Ali.

Nitai Roy, now in Dhaka, could not be contacted Despite repeated attempts over cell phone.

Party men in Magura Ssadar and Sreepur upazilas are united to resist Nitai Roy's candidature, they claimed.

When contacted, Nitai Roy's close aide and former secretary of district BNP Ali Ahmed Biswas said, "We are always ready to obey the party decision. Proclamation of nomination by any aspirant is also violation of party discipline".

On March 5, rival party men in Sreepur upazila at a meeting declared Nitai Roy 'unwanted' in the area and burnt his effigy, party sources said.

On the same day, party men at a meeting at Nomani Maidan in Magura Sadar declared Nitai Roy 'unwanted'.

"If Nitai is nominated again, people in Sreepur will resist his political activities, as they no more want to see him in the area", former president of Sreepur BNP Kamaluddin Master told this correspondent.