Over two dozen ruling Awami League-backed candidates in the upazila parishad elections have been elected unopposed in the first phase of the elections聽 slated for May 8.
According to the Election Commission data released on Tuesday, in the first phase of upazila parishad elections, 26 candidates were elected unopposed for the posts of chairmen, vice-chairmen and reserved vice-chairmen for women.
Of these, in four upazilas candidates for all the three posts were elected unopposed.
As a result, Bagerhat Sadar, Munshiganj Sadar, Shibchar of Madaripur and Parshuram of Feni would not need voting.
On Tuesday, returning officers in the respective upazila elections declared the respective single candidates elected unopposed.
The returning officers allotted symbols to the candidates and after receiving the symbols, they started the official campaign.
In the first phase, elections were supposed to be held in 150 upazilas.
The EC, however, postponed the polling in Thanchi, Rawangchari and Ruma upazilas of Bandarban district due to the ongoing joint operations against the Kuki-Chin National Front.
Of them, elections to Thanchi and Rawangchari upazila parishads were supposed to be held in the first phase and Ruma in the second phase on May 21.
In the first phase, 198 candidates withdrew their nomination papers on the last day of withdrawal of nomination papers of the first phase on Monday, said EC additional secretary Farhad Ahmed Khan.
He told reporters at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka that in the first phase seven people were elected unopposed as chairmen, nine as vice-chairmen and 10 as reserved vice-chairmen.
