The Election Commission will take tough decisions, such as cancelling candidacy, for electoral crimes and breach of rules, its Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath has said.   

“Candidates are facing show-cause notices, cases and summons. Afterwards, the Election Commission may cancel candidacy as an extreme measure,” he said during a conversation with journalists at the EC headquarters in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The situation will improve further once the striking forces are deployed, he added.

Election Cohmmissioner Anisur Rahman fuelled specualtions about cancellation of candidacy on Saturday.

After a meeting of the commission, he said: “Candidacies of some will be cancelled at some places. This is the least I can say.”

The EC has summoned two Awami League candidates, asking them to explain why their candidacies will not be scrapped.

They are AKM Bahauddin Bahar of Cumilla-6 and Dhirendranath Shambhu of Barguna-1. They will have to appear at the EC on Wednesday.

Ashok said election inquiry committees sent show-cause notices to 250 candidates over allegations of breach of electoral code of conduct.

The EC also ordered cases against four people, including Awami League MPs Abdul Hye of Jhenaidah-1 and Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury of Chattogram-16.