The second phase of election to 835 Union Parishads is set to be held across the country on Thursday amid fear of violence.
A total of 81 chairman candidates have already been elected unopposed, finding no rivals against them, while all contestants – for chairman and member posts, and reserved seats – in five UPs got elected uncontested.
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Though the Election Commission earlier announced the schedule for 848 UPs in the second phase election, it postponed polls in seven UPs and cancelled the election in one UP.
Since all contenders in five other UPs have already been elected unopposed, the balloting will be held in 835 UPs on Thursday, according to the EC’s factsheet.
More than 41,000 candidates including 3310 chairman contenders are contesting in the countrywide second phase UP election.
Some 28,747 candidates are contesting for the member posts, while 9,161 women contestants for the reserved seats in the UPs.
But 203 member candidates and 73 women candidates for reserved seats were elected unopposed in this phase.
There are nearly 16.6 million voters – 8,405,831 men, 8,189,379 women and 16 transgender (Hijra) – under 8,492 polling stations in the UPs.
About the recent election violence, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Wednesday said it is not possible to prevent such incidents by only deploying police in every locality.
“Such incidents can’t be resisted by deploying guards. It is reality…. Such untoward incidents can’t be prevented with just police guards in every house and locality,” he told reporters after a meeting at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city.
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He said tolerance among all people concerned with the election is the only way to check such incidents.
Huda said it would not be just to put the blame of violence on anyone unilaterally. “Rather, tolerance is essential to stop election violence. Here cooperation from political parties, candidates and supporters are required,” said the CEC.