‘Confident that I will be CM... BJP, Cong don’t understand real issues’

Ajit Jogi became Chhattisgarh’s first chief minister as a Congressman when the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000. This time, he has left the Congress and his new outfit, Janata Congress Chhattisgarh, is fighting the polls in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party. He spoke to at his Raipur home about the prospects of his party, challenge from Chhattisgarh chief minister and his arch-rival Raman Singh. Excerpts:

Kumar Uttam

issues have not been addressed. The Congress is in a disarray. Their leaders are fighting with each other. We have a strong alliance with Bahujan Samaj Party of Mayawati. And, we have fielded strong candidates. I was in control in just one election — in 2003, when the BJP won for the first time. The reason for a defeat in that election was very different. I was the chief minister and got a call from then home minister LK Advani, with whom I had a good rapport. He said Maoists have given a poll boycott call in Bastar and sought my help to ensure people come out and vote.

I was promised that there will be adequate security forces to help me. Thirty helicopters were deployed. Forces moved into jungles. There was a spike in voting percentage, and it jumped from 30-35% to 70-75%. The forces rigged that election in the favour of the BJP.

We lost almost every seat in Bastar, and power in Chhattisgarh. I was kept out of the decision making in the next two elections. The Congress leadership did not listen to me.