Over 80 aggrieved aspirants submit appeal petitions to EC

The election commissions received appeals from over 80 aggrieved aspirants on Monday challenging the cancellation of their nomination papers by returning officers.

A total of 82 applications were submitted with the EC on the first day, according to UNB report.

Of the petitions, 81 were filed against the rejection of nomination papers, while one was against the acceptance of nomination paper, according to the EC file.

The EC, which also has the appellate jurisdiction, will receive applications on Tuesday and Wednesday as well.

BNP aspirants Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin (from Chattogram-5), Golam Maula Rony (Patuakhali-3), Khandaker Abu Ashfaq (Dhaka-1) and Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan (Khagrachhari),Gano Forum aspirant Dr Reza Kibira (Habiganj-1) and independent candidate Hero Alam (Bogura-4) were among those who filed the petitions.

Besides, independent aspirant Imran H Sarkar (Kurigram-4), whose nomination paper was rejected, came to the EC Secretariat to know the procedure of the appeal submission.

While talking to reporters at his office, EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmad said the rejected candidates will be able to appeal with Election Commission.

"Even if any aspirant is not happy here (with the decisions of the EC), he/she can also go to court," he added.

Earlier, during the scrutiny on Sunday, returning officers rejected a total of 786 nomination papers and accepted 2,279 submitted in the country's 300 constituencies to contest the 11th national election scheduled for December 30.