Dhaka: Awami League chairman candidates won elections in 271 Union Councils while its arch rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party contenders in only 42 UCs in the third phase of the Union Council polls.

According to reports reaching the NTV Online news desk, the third phase results in 426 UCs were published. A total of 271 AL candidates, 42 BNP candidates, 15 Jatiya Party, 00 Jasod, 60 independent and 1 other candidates were elected.

Earlier on Saturday, voting in 614 Union Councils (UCs) in 47 districts was held amid various irregularities and sporadic violence that left a person dead and around 53 people injured.

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

Due to violence and irregularities, voting in at least 24 polling stations were suspended across the country, said the CEC at a press conference.

The EC said these include nine stations in Chatkhil Upazila of Noakhali, four in Adarsha Sadar of Comilla, four in Faridganj of Chandpur, two in Raipur of Laxmipur, and one each in Naikkhangchhari of Bandarban, Kashiani of Gopalganj, Sreepur of Magura, Shariatpur Sadar and Sherpur Sadar.

Twenty-five chairman candidates, all from ruling Awami League, have already been elected uncontested.

Of the 25 single chairman candidates, five each are in Kushtia and Munshiganj, four in Narayanganj, two each in Shariatpur, Comilla and Laxmipur, and one each in Jamalpur, Jhenidah, Rajbari, Noakhali and Khagrachhari.

As per the latest statistics provided by the Election Commission, some 1,450 candidates from 13 political parties while around 1,150 independent contenders are contesting the polls.

Though AL has contestants in all the UCs, its archrival BNP has no chairman candidates in 81 UCs in this phase.

Besides, 156 chairman candidates of HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party are in the election race.

Meanwhile, 20,943 contestants for member posts and 6,298 candidates for reserved seats (exclusively for women) contesting the election.

Of the contestants, 174 member candidates and 79 candidates for reserved seats have already been elected unopposed finding no rivals against their posts.