Desertion, dilemma overshadow NCP quest for firm footing

 
National Citizen Party (NCP) is moving swiftly to consolidate its organisational strength following its performance in the 13th National Assembly elections, while simultaneously navigating internal dissent and complex political alliances. 

As part of an 11-party coalition, the NCP secured six out of 30 contested parliamentary seats, a modest but strategically significant foothold that the party now seeks to build upon in upcoming local government elections.

"We are prioritising strengthening our organisation from the grassroots level, particularly in the 30 constituencies where we fielded candidates," said NCP Joint Convener and secretary of the central election management committee Monira Sharmin. "Our organisation is being formed in these constituencies and various campaigns are ongoing. Apart from this, we will also work in additional constituencies across the country. These programmes will mainly focus on the local government elections."

The party has already convened meetings with its top leadership and the 30 parliamentary candidates to discuss post-election activities, organisational restructuring, and strategies for re-integrating leaders who had resigned before the elections. A special meeting scheduled for February 26 is expected to formalise these discussions, including post-election evaluation and future plans, Monira Sharmin added. "No resignation letters of any of the leaders who left the party have been officially accepted. We are seriously looking into the issue of their return," she noted.

Prior to the elections, the NCP witnessed the resignation of several senior leaders, including Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr Tasneem Zara, Joint Convener Khaled Saifullah and Tajnubha Zabin. The leadership pledged that all necessary measures will be taken to strengthen the organisation and eliminate weaknesses at the grassroots level. "If the presence of top leaders at the field level had been greater, the results could have been more surprising," an NCP insider acknowledged, reflecting on lessons from the parliamentary polls.

Plans for the upcoming local government elections are already in motion, albeit without formal candidate finalisation. The Local Government Department recently sent a letter to the Election Commission to initiate preparations for elections in Dhaka's two city corporations, intensifying speculation about potential candidates. Among the names circulating is Nasiruddin Patwari, the NCP's Chief Organiser and candidate in Dhaka-8 during the parliamentary polls, who is reportedly considering a run for Dhaka South City Corporation mayor. 

Meanwhile, internal debates about the party's ideological stance have resurfaced, particularly regarding its past electoral engagement with Jamaat-e-Islami. Some resigned leaders, such as former joint chief coordinator Khan Muhammad Mursalin, have expressed reluctance to return. He said, "I personally do not see any logical reason to return to the party until the reasons for which I resigned are resolved. The implementation of the July Charter is a 'life-or-death' question for the July fighters. In this case, there is no room for any compromise on anyone's behalf. Then we will not exist."