Mizan Rahman/Dhaka


A day after announcing it would not back any candidate, the Jatiya Party (JP) yesterday extended its support to the ruling Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance by backing mayoral hopeful; Ajmat Ullah in the maiden election to Gazipur City Corporation (GCC).
“As confusion has been created over our party’s backing to Gazipur City Corporation candidates, I’m now announcing Jatiya Party’s support to grand alliance backed-candidate to remove the confusion,” said JP chairman HM Ershad.
Just two days ahead of the GCC polls, the JP chief formally announced his party’s support to Ajmat Ullah at a press conference at JP’s Gulshan office.
Ershad, however, said his party will contest the next polls independently. Replying to a question, the former military ruler said he will quit the grand alliance in the interest of Jatiya Party.
Asked whether he will take any action against JP’s Gazipur leaders working for the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed candidate MA Mannan, he said he is planning to take action as the local leaders are doing so without his permission.
Following claims by both the ruling party and opposition-backed mayoral candidates in Gazipur City that they had the support of HM Ershad, the party in a press statement on Wednesday categorically said it did not extend support to anyone.
“Jatiya Party is not supporting any candidate. The media report of Jatiya Party’s support to a particular candidate is not true at all,” said a party press release.
As there is no candidate backed by the party in the polls, it said the leaders, activists and supporters of JP will vote for the mayoral candidates of their own choice. Earlier, both AL-backed candidate Ajmat Ullah Khan and BNP-backed mayoral runner MA Mannan met Ershad and sought his blessings and support.
Confusion was created as both claimed to have Ershad’s support.
 “The Jatiya Party chairman is like a political mentor. He gave me both blessings and moral support,” Mannan told reporters at Ershad’s Baridhara residence after a meeting on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday, Ajmat Ullah met Ershad and also claimed that the JP chief has extended support. Hasina had met Ershad in the parliament after it was announced that the JP was likely to support the BNP-backed candidate. The former president is still facing eight corruption cases filed against him by previous regimes.
“Ershad might go to jail if he defies Hasina,” said a JP leader.