Ajit Jogi hints at quitting Congress, float new party

 In what could come as a yet another major blow to the Congress, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior party leader Ajit Jogi on Thursday raised a banner of revolt, threatening to form a new party. 

Jogi also attacked the Congress as “B team’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, drawing sharp reactions from the parent party, which said his exit would be a “good riddance”.  

“Around 15,000 people are talking to me personally or on phone. I am under tremendous pressure from my well-wishers, supporters and friends that if Chattisgarh has to be freed from Raman Singh, I will have to take this big step (of breaking away with the Congress and forming a new party).

Otherwise, Raman Singh will win the state for the fourth time and there is no hope from the Congress, which is playing as B Team of Raman Singh,” Jogi said.

His remarks are significant coming in the wake of media speculation that he will break away from the Congress and announce formation of a new party on June 6 in Marwahi. Jogi said his supporters were building pressure on him to get rid of this government and “unless I lead that is not possible. That is why on the 6th, I will go to Marwahi, which is my birth place. I have also called 5,000 of my core supporters from all over the state that day. I will also consult them.” 

To a question about whether he talked to the leadership in this regard, Jogi said,” enough of talks have taken place in the last three years. Now there is compulsion.” 

Alleging that the Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh had failed to give a fight to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said, “The party’s state unit chief, Bhupesh Baghel, and the leader of opposition in the Assembly TS Singhdeo are on the backfoot by their own acts”.

He said, “the state needs a strong opposition. My supporters and well wishers want me to take a decision to free this State from corrupt governance. I will take a call in this regard on June 6”.

Reacting sharply to the remarks, Jogis’old rival AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, recalled his role in the Antagarh assembly bypoll and referred to the audio tape regarding “fixing” of the election by Jogi.

“The manner in which Jogi has sold off the Congress candidate Manturam Pawar to the BJP is for all of you to see.

It is beneficial for Congress if such persons leave the party, who are engaged in trading the declared candidate of Congress for some crores of rupees,” Singh said.

A party leader speaking on the condition of anonymity said that Jogi’s exit from the party will be “good riddance”.

It must be noted that this comes a day after there were hints of Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the Congress president.