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No future after Ajit Jogi, two of the four party MLAs want to join Congress

Khairagarh MLA Devwrat Singh says JCC future appears bleak after the death of Ajit Jogi, who wanted to merge it with Congress. But party chief Amit Jogi calls Singh an opportunist.

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Raipur: With the family of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi struggling for political survival after his death, the future of his Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) now appears uncertain as two of its four MLAs want to return to the Congress fold.

According to the party’s Khairagarh MLA Devwrat Singh, JCC is in danger after the death of its former chief and Marwahi MLA as Jogi’s son Amit Jogi was also not allowed to contest the 3 November bypoll over a case of fake caste certificate.

The legislator also said Jogi, who formed the JCC in 2016, wanted to merge the party with the Congress while he was alive. But this could not happen due to his death on 29 May this year.

According to Singh, a three-time Congress MLA who had also been an MP before the formation of JCC, his future lies with the ruling party.

“My inclination towards Congress is natural. It’s in my blood. We have always worked like a Congress worker. There was an effort to create a strong third option in the state under the leadership of Ajit Jogi but it failed and now the circumstances have changed. There is no face that can lead the party after Jogi ji. This has also put a question mark on the future of the party,” he said.

Singh also claimed that his party colleague and MLA Pramod Sharma too wants to join the Congress. ThePrint tried to reach Sharma through phone calls to verify this claim but received no response till the time of publishing this report.

Apart from Singh and Sharma, JCC has two other MLAs — Dharmajit Singh and Renu Jogi (Ajit Jogi’s wife).

Dharmajit Singh, who is also the leader of the party’s legislative wing, said he has no intentions to leave the JCC. But he met former CM Dr Raman Singh Friday, which set off speculation that he might be looking to switch over to the BJP.

The MLA, however, said he met the BJP leader only “to ensure justice for Jogi family” by defeating the Congress, claiming that the ruling party insulted late Ajit Jogi, and also his son Amit Jogi who had to leave the bypoll race in an unceremonious manner.

Devwrat Singh, meanwhile, said he and Pramod Sharma are still with the JCC only because constitutionally they cannot join the Congress as MLAs without the numbers. Also, the final decision on their return rests with the Congress leadership.

Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Mohan Markam welcomed Singh’s comments but said only the central leadership can take a final decision on this.

“Devwrat Singh is an old Congressman and his return will be fine for the party, but the final decision in this matter will be taken by the central leadership. The future of JCC is troublesome. Their leadership has misled the public,” said Markam.


Also read: Chhattisgarh BJP now eyes Marwahi seat as Amit Jogi’s bypoll nomination is cancelled


‘Jogi made an offer to quit Marwahi’

JCC leaders claimed that the late party chief also wanted to return to the Congress.

According to a JCC leader in Raipur, who didn’t wish to be named, Jogi had held talks with several All India Congress Committee leaders after the 2018 assembly elections but an agreement could not be reached.

“It is a fact that Ajit Jogi was trying for one and a half years to return to the Congress. He told me on several occasions about the difficulty of running the party. I had suggested that we should go back to the Congress,” claimed Singh, adding that “a meeting on merger of JCC with Congress” was also held with a senior leader in 2018 but there was no consensus.

According to the MLA, Jogi had also offered to shun his Marwahi assembly segment and instead contest from Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituency as a Congress candidate. But the Congress leadership declined this offer, he said.

The Raipur JCC leader said Renu Jogi and son Amit Jogi had urged Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, former chief Rahul Gandhi and other leaders to merge the JCC with the party when the former CM was comatose after suffering a cardiac arrest on 29 April, but that could not happen.

JCC chief calls MLA Singh ‘opportunist’

In response to Singh’s comments, JCC president Amit Jogi called him an opportunist.

“They are neither Congressmen nor Janata Congressmen, they are opportunists. There is no question of going to the party that insulted my father even after his death,” he said.

“Only those making such statements will be able to explain that. I will advise them to read Jogi’s autobiography to clear their misconceptions. Those who want to join the Congress should have contested byelections on its symbol. It will be great even if they are able to save their deposits. The countdown for CM Bhupesh Baghel has begun,” he added.


Also read: CM Baghel eyes Jogi fortress Marwahi, but ‘Target 70’ not likely to be easy one for Congress


JCC MLA Dharamjit Singh’s meeting with Raman Singh

JCC MLA Dharamjit Singh, meanwhile, categorically denied any intention to join the Congress. “Those who want to go are free to exercise their plan. I have no inclination to return to the Congress,” he told ThePrint.

His increasing proximity with the BJP, however, has become a buzz in the local circles.

Dharamjit Singh’s meeting with Raman Singh Friday raised several eyebrows. After the one-hour meeting, the MLA said, “Our political dispensations may be different but our hearts are one. At present, our only goal is to ensure justice for Jogi family against those who have insulted late Ajit Jogi. For this, I will meet all who will help to achieve the goal.”

ThePrint had earlier reported that the BJP is now hopeful that Amit Jogi may extend support to the party to defeat the ruling Congress.

The BJP believes it is in pole position to win the byelection.

“For the first time since 1998, we are in a strong position to win this seat again. The Congress’s undemocratic manners and political obstinacy are the main reasons behind cancellation of Amit Jogi’s nomination papers, which will surely benefit the BJP,” Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik had told ThePrint.

State BJP chief Vishnudev Sai agreed: “There is considerable anger among his (Amit Jogi’s) supporters due to which they want to defeat Congress.”


Also read: Sengar in jail, his wife is canvassing for BJP as Unnao’s Bangarmau bypoll sees 3-corner fight


 

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