Jatiya Party candidate Mostafizur Rahman has taken a clear lead in the mayoral race of Rangpur City Corporation as shown in the early unofficial result.

According to the primary count announced till 9pm on Thursday by returning officer Suvash Chandra Sarkar, Mostafizur bagged 34,278 votes in 50 polling stations while his nearest rival Awami League contender Sarfuddin Ahmed Jhantu polled 12,673 and BNP contestant Kawsar Jahan Babla got only 6,208 votes, reports the UNB.

Seven candidates are contesting the election for the mayoral post while 211 candidates for ward councillors and 65 women candidates for reserved councilors.

The voting was held from 8:00am to 4:00pm without any break at 193 polling stations in the city corporation in a peaceful atmosphere with the good turnout of voters.

A total of 3,93,994 voters — 1,96,356 men and 1,97,638 women -– were supposed to cast votes to elect one mayor, 33 ward councillors and 11 councillors to the reserved seats of women in the election.

The Election Commission termed Rangpur City Corporation polls a ‘model election’ saying that it was held amid a festive mood.

‘The Rangpur City Corporation election was held in a festive mood. We earlier promised to hold a model election there. This has been a model election finally,’ Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam told a post-election briefing at the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban.

He said though the BNP’s allegation is not authentic as per the EC’s information gathered from the field, the Commission will examine the accusation.

BNP at a press briefing earlier in the day alleged that the administration obstructed voters from going to some polling stations, while polling agents were ousted from some centres during the city corporation election.

Earlier at about 2:30pm, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda told reporters that they were happy with the overall election situation in Rangpur.

Trashing BNP’s allegation, he said, ‘We’ve gleaned information from the local level. Voters didn’t come up with any complaint. So, we think the allegation is not authentic’.

Instead of ballot papers, the newly designed Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) was used in a polling station —the Begum Rokeya Government College at ward 25- of the election.