New Delhi: Even as senior Congress leader Ajit Jogi is headed for Kotmi in the Marwahi assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh to announce his future political course on Monday, the Congress high command on Sunday dropped hints it will “wait and watch”.
“He is holding a workers’ meeting on Monday. So, we will wait and watch what he does,” Congress General Secretary B K Hariprasad, who is in charge of the party’s affairs in Chhattisgarh, told IANS. However, a section of party leaders both in Delhi and in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state seemed to have reconciled themselves to the imminent exit of one-time Sonia Gandhi loyalist.
Earlier, some party leaders said though the rebellion from Jogi and his legislator son Amit Jogi is essentially linked to a father’s affection for his son (Amit JOgi was expelled from the party), the departure of Congress’ “popular tribal face” could harm the party in some select pockets. The Ajit Jogi camp says if Jogi announces to float a party on Monday, the Congress could suffer huge loss of ground in districts like Bilaspur, Raigarh and Jagdalpur.
“We have the backing of at least 10 sitting Congress MLAs in Chhattisgarh,” a source in the Jogi camp said.
While the Congress has 39 legislaors in the 90-member assembly, the ruling BJP has 49 and one seat each is held by Bahujan Samaj Party and an Independent.
“Ajit Jogi has lost political significance after three consecutive defeats of the Congress in state assembly polls. That’s why Congress is not much interested in trying to retain him in the party either. Last month, (Congress vice president) Rahul Gandhi declined to meet him despite repeated requests,” said a source close to state unit president Bhupesh Baghel.
