NCP seeks 20 seats and cabinet share from BNP

The National Citizens Party (NCP) has started discussions with BNP on seat sharing and possible alliance ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections. The party is said to be seeking at least 20 seats in an agreement with BNP and a share in the cabinet if a government is formed in the future. Although the discussions are not formal so far, everything is happening behind the scenes, informally.

High-level sources in NCP and BNP said that it has not yet been finalized with whom NCP will ally or contest elections alone. Although some influential leaders of the party are also known to be in touch with Jamaat-e-Islami, BNP does not want NCP to enter into any agreement with Jamaat. The NCP has proposed that if BNP comes to power, they should be guaranteed to make three of them ministers and that the political security and status of party leaders should be ensured. However, no official response has been received from BNP on this matter yet.

The party wants to present itself as a moderate and pragmatic political force, not a right-wing one. Party convener Nahid Islam said, “We can unite with those who are close to our basic demands, but that will be decided considering the situation.” As part of the NCP’s election preparations, a central election management committee has already been formed, headed by Nasiruddin Patwari and secretary Tasnim Zara.

The party’s list of potential candidates includes Nahid Islam (Dhaka-11), Akhtar Hossain (Rangpur-4), Nasiruddin Patwari (Dhaka-18 or Chandpur-5), Tasnim Zara (Dhaka-9), Ariful Islam Adeeb (Dhaka-14), Sarjis Alam (Panchagarh-1), Hasnat Abdullah (Comilla-4), Abdul Hannan Masud (Noakhali-6), among others. Besides, Monira Sharmin (Naogaon-5), Sarwar Tushar (Narsingdi-2), Atiq Mujahid (Kurigram-2), Abdullah Al Amin (Narayanganj-4), SM Saif Mostafiz (Sirajganj-6) and Joynal Abedin Shishir (Comilla-10) are in discussion as candidates.

In addition to the seat agreement, the NCP is also preparing to contest the elections alone. The party's joint convener, Monira Sharmin, said, "At the moment, the NCP is not thinking about an electoral alliance. We are in touch with various parties, but our focus is now on increasing our organizational strength." She added, "We want to achieve the ability to contest the elections alone, but we will keep all possibilities open until the last moment."

Political analysts believe that if the NCP can reach an agreement with the BNP, then it could be a new ally for the BNP. On the other hand, if there is no alliance, the NCP's solo participation could affect the moderate vote bank.