‘Every segment of society is upset over the BJP’s policies’
VETERAN POLITICIAN IS CONFIDENT HE WILL BE NEXT CHIEF MINISTER OF CHHATTISGARH
Ahead of assembly elections in the state, founder of the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) party, Ajit Jogi has formed an alliance with the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) to take on threetime incumbent chief minister Dr Raman Singh of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Former Congressman, Jogi was the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, after the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000. Following the expulsion of his son, Amit, then Member of Legislative Assembly, over allegations of fixing an assembly byelection in the BJP’s favour, the seasoned politician left the Congress party in 2016 and launched his own party.
Jogi met with a near-fatal car accident in 2004. It left him paralysed from the waist down and he has been confined to a wheelchair ever since, but has remained politically active.
An alliance with BSP and CPI, and an earlier decision not to contest the elections; what is your strategy?
I had decided to contest against Dr Raman Singh from Rajnandgaon. However, the BSPJCCJ-CPI coalition demanded that I do not confine myself to contesting elections from any particular seat and should rather focus on campaigning for all 90 seats in the state. Hence, the decision was taken not to contest. Then, people from Marwahi requested me to contest from their constituency, saying I need not campaign at all from there. Since I am a ‘worker’ of these people, I am contesting from Marwahi.
Surveys and poll analysts have ruled out anti-incumbency factor against the Raman Singh government. What’s the ground report?
Most surveys are either manipulated or done taking into account just a very small sample size, which cannot be extrapolated to reflect the exact mindset of people. I call these ‘drawing room surveys’. The ground report is that people have seen 15 years of misrule of the BJP government and they want change. People voted for the BJP, as they did not find an option in the Congress. But now, they have an alternative and will definitely vote for us.
Why are people disgruntled? Every segment is upset with BJP, including the business class, a strong supporter of the party. They are unhappy with the government’s anti-business policies, especially demonetisation and poor implementation of GST, lack of control over administration and rampant corruption.
With over three million unemployed youths in the state, jobs are being given to outsiders. Farmers are not given their promised minimum support price, which is forcing them to commit suicide. The power surplus state has become power deficit, but the state is selling power to other states. So, there’s no question of Raman Singh getting the fourth consecutive term.
This election will change the scenario in Chhattisgarh. We do not want to be called a kingmaker or king; the people of Chhattisgarh will be king.
Who will take oath as CM if your coalition wins?
The coalition has unanimously declared me as the face and chief minister candidate.
Why is it that despite being given a raw deal by Congress, you never speak against the party as well as Sonia and Rahul Gandhi?
It was my decision to move out from Congress and form my own party, so the people of the state are not dependent on Delhi for their decisions. Before leaving the party, I met then Congress President Sonia Gandhi and clarified that there was no animosity between the Gandhi family and me. I have known Rahul since his childhood and would even drop him off at school. So, relations will always remain cordial.