Ershad now mulls loose alliance with 14-party

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In yet another show of ever changing political stance, Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad now mulls forging a loose alliance with the Awami League (AL)-led 14-party combine ahead of the next general election.

He will make a formal announcement to this effect soon, sources said.

“The possibility of our joining the (BNP-led) four-party alliance is very slim, rather we are more likely to reach an electoral understanding with the 14-party combine,” Ershad told reporters at the airport on his return from London yesterday.

He however said his party will not join any alliance.

Asked about his wife Roushan Ershad’s earlier announcement about her joining the four-party, Ershad said he would take all decisions on the JP.

“It was my personal visit but political pressure is a usual matter,” he replied when asked if there was any political pressure behind his 12-day UK visit.

JP sources said the party chairman has agreed to electoral understanding with the 14-party, and he will announce his ‘new decision’ after his visit to Rangpur from today.

In the last few months, Ershad repeatedly changed his mind regarding his joining any alliance. After a meeting with BNP leaders Tarique Rahman and Lutfozzaman Babar, he said he would join the four-party. But later he changed his decision and said his party would contest the election separately.

Meanwhile, JP leaders have concluded their bargain with the 14-party high command over seat-sharing for the election. The 14-party will support JP candidates in about 45 constituencies, sources said.

Earlier, a group of JP leaders repeatedly tried to reach an understating with the four-party alliance. Even Roushan Ershad was much interested to join it. But most of the party lawmakers protested the initiative and requested Ershad not to join the BNP-led combine, saying the four-party would face a debacle in the next election for its misrule in the last five years.

JP sources said Ershad will withdraw the expulsion of his brother GM Quader from the party. He was expelled during Ershad’s UK visit as most of the party leaders and lawmakers backed his stance of supporting the AL-led alliance.

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