Ivy's challenge is to get party support ( Narayanganj News )

Selina Hayat Ivy, a mayoral hopeful in the Narayanganj City Corporation polls, is popular among voters, but getting party support seems to be a tough challenge for her.

The maiden election to the newly formed city corporation is due on October 30.

Many voters favour Ivy, a vice-president of Narayanganj town unit of Awami League, for her efforts in solving a number of key problems of the area during her 2003-2011 tenure as a mayor of Narayanganj municipality.

Although the AL high command is yet to pick its candidate, insiders say most of the local leaders have sided with Shamim Osman, another intending candidate from AL.

Some said they do not openly support Ivy “for fear of Shamim Osman”.

A former AL lawmaker, Shamim used to be considered a godfather of local criminals during the 1996-2001 tenure of the AL government. He returned to Narayanganj in April 2009 after eight years. Sources said he went to India and then to Canada after AL's poll debacle in 2001 national election.

However, Ivy is “confident” that she has with her the people who will determine the election result.

“I don't know if I'm popular. I worked for the people as much as I could and they'll decide whether I'd serve them or not,” she told The Daily Star at her Narayanganj residence.

A good number of voters from a cross-section of people said Ivy addressed a number of long-standing public issues including the town's once notorious drainage problem while in office as the municipal mayor. Her previous records will help her draw voters, they added.

“We can go to her in our needs. She is friendly and helpful,” said Humayun Kabir, a local businessman.

Shahidul Islam, a local, said Ivy recovered many footpaths and government land from illegal occupation and constructed roads in the area.

“I do politics for the people and always think how I can serve them more,” she said, hoping that people will vote for her in the upcoming election.

Her father late Ali Ahammad Chunka was a local AL leader who served the Narayanganj municipality as the first elected mayor for 10 years since 1973.