Following the 7 January national election, grassroots politics within the ruling Awami League is gaining steam centring the upcoming upazila parishad elections across the country.

This year’s upazila elections will take place in four phases and the first phase of these elections is set for 8 May.

As the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its like-minded parties have decided to sit out of the upazila polls like in the last general election, the ruling party has kept the upazila elections open for all by refraining from nominating anyone from the party. As a result, no candidate will be carrying the AL’s “Boat” symbol this time around.

The AL’s strategy is pretty straightforward, AL insiders have told the Daily Sun, adding that the party aims to bolster voter turnout, leveraging the void left by the absence of major opposition parties.

By refraining from fielding its own candidates, the AL seeks to provide a platform for the emergence of new leaders at the grassroots level, fostering a competitive electoral environment where AL contenders vie against one another for positions of influence.

Despite some internal squabbles here and there, the AL decided it was worth it to keep the election open to boost voter interest, said the AL insiders, expressing their hope that this move will pay off and result in a good voter turnout.

According to AL sources, many grassroots leaders holding vital posts in district and upazila AL are contesting in the polls, especially for the “chairman” position in every upazila. Even though there is no party’s political activity, candidates are campaigning with their followers and going to voters’ doorsteps. As a result, election-centric activities of party leaders and activists have increased, creating an election vibe almost everywhere among the general voters.

AL leaders think that there will be no lack of festivity and no lack of voters’ interest in the upazila polls, even after BNP’s boycotting the elections. They believe that voters will have a proper opportunity to choose their representatives through free, fair, and competitive elections.

While talking to the Daily Sun, AL Organising Secretary and Jatiya Sangsad Whip Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon said, “Due to the upazila elections, our party politics are not as prominent. However, political leaders and activists are currently busy with upazila polls, going from door to door.”

He also mentioned, “BNP’s call for a vote boycott will not be successful. Many of their grassroots leaders and activists are already engaged in the election field in favor of their preferred candidates. Hopefully, the election will be free, impartial, and festive without any influence from MPs, ministers, and parties.”

Meanwhile, grassroots AL leaders also believe that in the local government elections, individual popularity is more important than party identity. Therefore, there is no tension about voter turnout in the upazila polls.

In this regard, Netrokona district AL Member and former district Chhatra League President Foijur Murshed Khan Omi told the Daily Sun, “Since there are several unions under an upazila and in this upazila election, there are candidates from every union, and these candidates will try to secure the highest number of votes from their own unions. As a result, the overall voter turnout will not be less than the expected level.”