Is Jogi brooding to float a new party?

Yogesh Mishra

Raipur, June 17, 2013

Post Darbha incident, senior Congress MLA Ajit Jogi is feeling alienated in the party. His supporters are mounting pressure on him to dissociate from Congress and constitute a new party, but he has reportedly scrapped the idea terming it impractical and untimely in current scenario. His stalwarts, on the other hand, want Jogi to instantly form a new party so that they could start preparing for 2013 assembly elections. 

When Congress lost 2003 assembly polls in state, Jogi was expected to play key role in reuniting the party as a former chief minister and one of the senior leaders. Unfortunately, it did not happen because Jogi had other plans for himself. He rather concentrated in expanding his personal domain through party’s frontal organisations – Youth Congress (YC) and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). Soon, Jogi faction became strong in both urban and rural pockets. He developed army of young supporters through YC and NSUI and then began his rallies across the state.

His parallel activities in party alerted other senior leaders who hastily started strengthening their camps. This is how, factionalism in Congress increased further and consequently it lost Vidhan Sabha polls in 2008 again.

The party was fragmented, thanks to infighting and personal ambitions of all factions. The national leadership was aware of anarchy prevailed in party’s state unit but it never tried to improve the conditions. 

The Chhattisgarh Congress found its lost rhythm only when Nandkumar Patel became PCC president. Suddenly, a weak opposition became strong as Patel launched multiple attack on the government as by raising every small and major issue against it. Other factions appreciate Patel’s efforts, but not the Jogi camp that continued to run parallel organisation.

Still, indiscipline was major issue in the party, which neither high command tried to address nor Patel dared to do so. 

Meanwhile, alarmed by Jogi’s parallel activities, other senior leaders (including Patel) started complaining against him to high command. Soon, Jogi received instruction from national leadership to obtain prior permission from state chief to conduct any programme under party’s banner. Jogi preferred to give information in advance about his activities to PCC head instead of taking permission beforehand.

Then came May 25 – the fateful day when Maoists killed Patel, senior tribal leader Mahendra Karma and other Congress leaders when the party convoy was heading to Darbha from Sukma to second public rally of the day under its parivartan yatra.

Jogi had attended Sukma rally on the same day and returned to Raipur via helicopter. In the evening, when naxals attacked the yatra convoy, they took Patel, his son and Jogi’s staunch supporter and Konta MLA Kawasi Lakhma with them towards forests. After sometime, they asked Lakhma to go back and killed Patel and his son. 

After the incident, while the BJP leaders straightaway pointed finger of doubt towards Jogi, several Congress leaders too did the same but in suppressed voice. His supporters found the allegations insulting and felt that Jogi should resign from Congress forthwith and form his own party. Jogi remained unperturbed and calmly rebuffed all allegations against him.

The state unit is presently in hands of Jogi’s old foe - union minister of state Charandas Mahant who has categorically said that factionalism and indiscipline would not be tolerated in party anymore. From recent developments, Jogi has realised that the state unit would continue ignoring him under Mahant’s leadership. The party leadership has already refused to project his candidate for Keshkal bypoll. Still, he has decided to wait and watch. 

Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh will be held in November-December 2013. Tickets will be distributed on the basis of survey conducted by party’s national team. Nonetheless, senior party leaders feel that their national vice president Rahul Gandhi would not refuse their recommended candidates. Jogi is also planning to project candidates for about half of the total 90 assembly seats in state. In the recent past, Gandhi had refused to entertain Jogi, but if he does it in future too then the latter would be compelled to think about his political career. 

Gandhi will surely not take risk of ignoring Jogi during polls as last minute division in party will only diminish its victory chances, but meantime he will ensure not to give too much consideration to the latter. According to information, Jogi had already instructed some of his supporters to remain prepared to contest polls as independent candidates if they fail to get ticket. In this scenario, the party will be at loss in terms of votes and Jogi will have ample time to decide whether to stay in Congress or explore future by constituting new political party. He is also likely to take firm decision after polls.