Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi

After years of infighting within the Chhattisgarh Congress, senior party leader Ajit Jogi on Thursday announced his intention to form a new political front “to free the state from the BJP-led Raman Singh government”.

The decision comes six months after the emergence of the Antagarh bypoll tapes — first reported by The Indian Express — which seemed to suggest that there were financial dealings in engineering the result of the byelection in 2014. Fierce factionalism broke out after the tapes — which had the purported voices of Ajit Jogi and his son, Marwahi MLA Amit Jogi — came to light. The state Congress committee expelled Amit Jogi for six years and recommended to the AICC that the same action be taken against Ajit Jogi, who was the state’s first chief minister.

On January 10, after the tapes were released, The Indian Express had reported that Jogis were working to set up a new front, which would be centred around “regional politics.” The past few months have seen a war of words between the factions led by PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel and Jogi, with both alleging that the other was working with the BJP to weaken the Congress.

Ajit Jogi said that on June 6, he would hold a public meeting in Marwahi, where the name, symbol and path of the new party would be decided. He said he was being “pressured” to float a new party and lead it, with the state Congress incapable of taking on the Raman Singh government.

He told The Indian Express, “People have been telling me to lead a new party because the present leadership of the Congress, Baghel and T S Singhdeo, have made compromises with the BJP. I conveyed this to the people in Delhi, and told them I would have to come forward.”

He alleged that Singhdeo was linked to a land case in Ambikapur; and there were charges on purchase of pipes when Baghel was a minister, as well as an accusation of fraudulent land dealings against him. “They cannot speak against the Raman Singh government for fear of action against them,” Ajit Jogi added.

The state Congress said Ajit Jogi was acting at the behest of the CM. The statement also suggested a significance in the timing, following reports of the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president, and that the BJP was acting through Jogi to counter this. Ajit Jogi said the news of Rahul’s elevation had no bearing on his decision, but it was “for all to see the state the Congress is in now”.

“The Congress… is left with 44 seats. It is not about individuals, but the whole team that has been unsuccessful. After my announcement I heard that Digvijaya Singh referred to the Antagarh tapes… He should have no standing to speak. He was in charge of UP when the Congress came down to 0. He was involved in Andhra, Telangana, Assam, where the Congress is receding,” he said. Reacting to Ajit Jogi’s decision, his old rival, AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh had said, “The manner in which Jogi sold off Congress candidate (in Antagarh bypoll) Manturam Pawar to the BJP is for all to see. It is beneficial for the Congress if such persons leave the party.”

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said, “He (Jogi) has been our colleague for 35 years. The party gave him everything… Whenever such a person leaves the party, it is unfortunate. If he had any grievance, certainly the high command would have heard him.”

A third regional front could drastically change the political dynamics in a state that has been dominated by the BJP and Congress. A Congress leader said, “Jogi is a mass leader. While his influence has diminished, he still holds sway among some classes.”

Baghel said Jogi’s exit would “benefit the Congress”. Singhdeo said it was not possible for the former CM to get “what he wants, when he wants, the way he wants”.

Senior BJP leader Sachidananda Upasne said, “The confidence this government has generated is immense, none of these developments take away from that. This infighting will strengthen us further.”

(With inputs from Delhi)

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