275 candidates re-enter race after EC appeals process concludes

Almost half the candidates who submitted appeals with the Election Commission challenging the decisions of the returning officers to reject their nominations got back their candidacies for the 12th parliamentary elections billed for January 7 next.

A total of 275 out of 558 candidates got back their candidacy during the six days of hearings headed by Chief Election Commission Kazi Habibul Awal. With the 1985 candidates declared valid earlier, it means the election will have 2260 candidates on the ballots across 300 seats as things stand at the moment. Candidates may still withdraw from the election until December 17.

Of them, 20 aspirants retook the candidacy on the final day of the hearing held at the Election Commission Bhaban in Dhaka’s Agargaon.

According to the EC, 56 candidates returned their candidacy on the first day of the appeal hearing, 51 on the second day, 61 on the third day, 44 on the fourth day, 43 on the fifth day, and 20 on the last day.

A total of 32 appeals were submitted to the EC challenging the valid decision of the ROs while the candidacies of some aspirants were declared invalid in the hearing.

Of them, the candidacies of three Awami League aspirants, Shammi Ahmed in Barishal-4 constituency, Shamim Haque in Faridupur-3, Salahuddin Ahmed in Cox’s Bazar-1, and independent hopeful Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah in Barishal-5, were finally declared invalid by the EC.

Among them, the candidacies of Shammi, Shamim and Serniabat were rejected on the grounds of having dual citizenship, while the candidacy of Salahuddin Ahmed on the grounds of loan default.