Dhaka: Awami League chairman candidates won elections in 540 Union Councils while its arch rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party contenders in only 47 UCs.

According to reports reaching the NTV Online news desk, the first phase results in 697 UCs were published. A total of 540 AL candidates, 47 BNP candidates, 04 Jatiya Party, 03 Jasod, 98 independent and 05 other candidates were elected.

Earlier on Tuesday, voting in 712 Union Councils (UCs) in 37 districts was held amid various irregularities and sporadic violence that left a person dead and around hundred people injured.

The balloting in the first phase of the UC election began at 8:00am and continued till 4:00pm without any break.

The voting was marked with violence and anomalies in Jhalakati, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Barisal, Bhola, Sirajgnaj, Bagerhat, Patuakhali and Satkhira districts.

Due to violence and irregularities, voting at least 56 polling stations out of some 6,500 were postponed across the country in the first phase of the UC election, reported United News of Bangladesh.

Fifty-four chairman candidates, all from the ruling party, have already been elected unopposed finding no rival against their respective post. There are no BNP candidates for chairman posts in 121 unions. In the first phase of union council elections, on 23 March elections will be held at Nagarpur in Tangail and on 27 March in two unions at Teknaf in Cox's Bazar. Elections in 4275 unions will be held countrywide in six phases by June.