Polls, at any level, be it national, mayoral or at upazila levels were never my cup of tea to analyse and pen over. Elections in my country have been marred by such a long list of violence, deaths, injuries, irregularities and allegations of corruption since 2014 that I have sensibly stopped taking note of who won or lost in whatever elections.
However, the recently ended NJ mayoral election is an exception for some key reasons, but before delving deeper, victory in this mayoral polls were widely speculated and turned out real.
The winner, a relatively popular physician-turned-politician, Selina Hayat Ivy won for the third consecutive term and will continue as mayor shouldering all past successes and failures. Not that her opponent performed poorly in the polls, but when it comes to accepting defeat or victory, it was markedly unprecedented how the two contestants tolerated, objected and finally accepted the poll results.
Apart from the local people's inexperience in dealing with electronic voting machines there wasn't much dilemma worth touching over.
First of all, in a stark contrast to recent local government elections across the country, there were no significant violent clashes between the two political parties in Narayanganj. None reportedly died or became badly injured. And as luck would have it, only handful activists from the defeated party had been allegedly picked up and put behind bars by the police.
The NJ polls have been reported to be free, fair and credible, albeit a few allegations and technical glitches in casting votes. Moreover, the poll turnout has been significant compared to the last mayoral polls.
Without a second thought, had the NJ polls were mired by violence and irregularities there was a scope to pen on the ruling party's political wickedness and electoral machinations, but it was not.
That said - the NJ polls laid bare the fact, if a candidate is politically credible and popular, political branding takes a back seat. Madam Ivy has performed but also failed to deliver on all her mayoral promises, but what I truly admire of her is her marked perseverance both at office and local politics.
It was over a decade ago when she first assumed mayor's office by defeating Mr. Shamim Osman, and since then AL's Narayanganj base has split into two fractions. Nevertheless, Madam Ivy's ideological and longstanding political dispute against the somewhat 'illustrious' Osman clan in Narayanganj is not a new phenomenon to us.
The crack within the party's unity is noticeably divided in terms of local public perception and wider acceptance of AL's local political leadership in greater Narayanganj. However, all hats off to Narayanganj people, majority of them chose to act on their political conviction and cast their votes they considered best.
I am not sure how her biggest rival from the same political party responded to her victory within, but his tacit support by diverting thousands of votes against her direction has manifestly backfired. And people won against all unconfirmed voting machinations.
However, given her proven perseverance in politics, it is also a challenge for her to unite the two divided AL fractions into one as she commences her third mayoral stint. It is quite a political challenge within her locality.
The Awami high-up can surely bank on her political credentials, but a question at the same time how many local AL leaders are in her ranks today? How many Ivy-like politicians Awami League can showcase during other upazila or mayoral elections?
NJ mayoral polls convey a vital message to all local AL leaders; I wonder what inspiration they had drawn.
On top of all, at least this writer believes AL party chief yet prioritises on promoting effective and popular leadership over all-pervasive use of party-based-hooliganism in our domestic politics.
It doesn't require rocket science knowledge to foresee the wider range of repercussions when internal greed and scuffles within the domestic leadership of a ruling party keeps transmitting contradictory messages.
In general, AL is splitting within at numerous localities, and also within its students' and local bodies. Internal clashes between CL leaders, local leaderships and fractions across the country are regularly making headlines. These regular internal feuds may remind one of that epic Machiavellian saying - politics have no relation to morals.
I don't believe the saying is applicable in our context. First, there is no politics left, and much of our morals have been compromised in exchange of money and political power. Mr. Machiavelli would have been thrilled had he lived among us.
Understandably, NJ mayoral polls will not have any significant impact on our future national polls, but the government is likely to make a blunder once it starts capitalising to justify on free and fair polls to be taking place in the country.
In conclusion, I must say a few words on the role of our Election Commission in the recently held mayoral polls. The most I had expected from EC officials was to cooperate with the city's inexperienced and elderly people in casting votes in EVMs, they performed miserably. They had little to do in maintaining law and order since the outcome was expected. It was actually the confident ordinary voters and AL party men, who together shunned violence. I wasn't surprised when the EC commissioner declared that it was the 'best held election during his tenure', but how would he define the scores of violent and blood stained local elections of the recent past?
Their branding ranges from the degree from better to best too, but in terms of intensifying violence, bloodshed and irregularities.
The writer is assistant editor, The Daily Observer
