Awami League will settle the seat-sharing issue with its allies before the deadline for candidacy withdrawal as the ruling party’s rollout of candidates for all but two seats for the upcoming general election has left the alliance partners in a state of worries.

Insiders said AL President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to sit with the components of the 14-party alliance and others in a day or two to allay their worries.

Awami League on Sunday announced the names of candidates for 298 out of total 300 constituencies, keeping Kushtia-2 and Narayanganj-5 vacant.

This has made its allies worried as they want to take part in the election in alliance with AL electoral symbol ‘Boat’ and expect that there will be no AL candidates in their seats.

They also fear that they may not come out successful even after contesting the polls with ‘Boat’ if there are AL rebel candidates in their seats as the ruling party said its leaders can contest the polls as independent candidates if they want.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Monday said their party did not announce candidates for the two seats for strategic reason while there will be adjustment in some others.

Talking to the Daily Sun, AL Presidium member AHM Khairuzzaman Liton said, “Our party will participate in the election in alliance as we said earlier. Lawmakers from our alliance parties who have retained their acceptability to people will surely be considered.”

Nominations in some seats will be adjusted with the alliance partners, he said.

About the seat sharing with Jatiya Party, the AL leader said the opposition party has chosen candidates for all seats. “Our party also wants it to join the election independently. Then the election will be more festive.”

AL Organising Secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel said all parties, including their alliance partners, are finalising own tactics for the election. “Awami League will sit with the allies in the 14-party alliance and the grand alliance soon to discuss the seat sharing.”

He said the issue will be finalised before the deadline for withdrawal of candidacy on 17 December.

AL Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said, “Awami League will negotiate will partners in the coming days. Awami League is ready to negotiate not only with the 14-party alliance but also any other party.”

AL sources said they will allow some candidates from allies to contest the polls with ‘Boat’ while some constituencies will be kept open for all.

Jatiya Party on Monday announced candidates for 289 seats.

“Our candidates will contest the election with our electoral symbol ‘Plough’,” its Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu told the Daily Sun.

However, a Presidium member of the party, wishing anonymity, said the issue of seat sharing has not yet settled with AL. “If we can reach an understanding with AL, it may not field any candidate where there’re our contenders. The issue will be settled before the deadline for candidature withdrawal.”

Jatiya Party’s chief patron Raushon Ershad had informed the Election Commission (EC) that their party candidates will have the option to contest the polls with ‘Boat’ alongside ‘Plough’.

But in a separate letter, Chunnu told the EC that their party chairman is the lone authority to nominate candidates.

Talking to the Daily Sun, Rashed Khan Menon, president of Workers Party of Bangladesh, a component of the 14-party alliance, said they will contest 30 seats. “Our candidates will contest the polls with ‘Boat’ symbol where the alliance allows this while the rest will vie with party’s own electoral symbol.”

Mohammad Ali Faruqi, spokesperson for Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, said they have nominated over 100 candidates to contest the polls. “We’ve sought 10 seats from Awami League. If they allow us, our candidates will contest the polls with ‘Boat’ in allotted seats and the rest will vie with our electoral symbol ‘Garland of Flowers’.”

Shahadat Hossain, general secretary of Ganatantri Party, told the Daily Sun that they will contest 30 seats in the election. “We’ve sent a letter to the EC saying that we want to contest the election in alliance.”

He said a meeting will be held with AL President Sheikh Hasina in a day or two to settle the issue of seat sharing.