Jogi hints of staying in state politics despite new task

Raipur, November 23, 2012

Amidst rumours that his inclusion in central manifesto committee of Congress for Lok Sabha polls was a planed move of high command to keep him away from Chhattisgarh politics, senior party legislator Ajit Jogi on Friday indicated that he was in no mood to bid adieu to state despite new task.

“I have always worked to beef up the state Congress and will do it in future too,” he said confidently while interacting with the media persons at his residence.

“Let the people interpret about my new assignment in their own way. My inclusion in the central committee shows the trust the party supremo has on me as I have always discharged all the given responsibilities sincerely in the past,” he said.

“It is the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi who will decide my role in party politics,” he added.

Rubbishing out the reports that he was attempting to obtain ticket for his son Amit for next assembly polls, he said when he was unsure of his own ticket how come he would ascertain his son and spouse’s candidatures.

Asked whether he was preparing for LS polls, he said he was ready to contest any type of elections as directed by the party chief.

Declaration of LS poll candidates early this time

When sought the reason of central leadership sending LS poll observer much earlier in state, Jogi said the aim was to shortlist apt candidates. He predicted that the party would declare LS poll candidates early this time.

Nagar suraj a political humbug

On government’s nagar suraj abhiyan (NSA), Jogi said it was mere political humbug.

“In fact, in NSA, the word suraj (good governance) should be rather replaced by kuraj (bad governance) as the ruling party has failed to road, water, power and sanitation to the urbanites. The BJP government has become synonym of corruption, hence people are opposing its NSA,” he said.

He extolled the shahar bachao abhiyan (SBA) launched by the Congress to counter NSA terming the anti-government movement an appropriate move.

Congress believe in healthy debate in VS

Asked whether state Congress too would obstruct the upcoming winter session of state assembly as was being done by the principal opposition BJP at parliament, Jogi said his party believed in conduction of healthy debate in the House, not for washout of the session.  

Demands action against guilty in coal blocks allocation

On inter-ministerial group’s (IMG) recommendation of deallocation of Bhatgaon-II and Bhatgaon-II extension coal blocks, he said the suggestion proved that the state government did corruption in handing over the two coal blocks to Ajay Sancheti and did him the favour because he was parliamentarian from BJP.

He demanded from the government to ask CBI to file case against the guilty persons who wrongfully handed over the two coal blocks to Sancheti.

People facing inconvenience due to Mantralaya shifting 

On shift of Mantralaya to Naya Raipur, he said the government did it in haste without considering the inconvenience the people would have to face to go there with no frequent transportation facility. He asked the government to provide free conveyance to the public by plying buses from Raipur to Naya Raipur.