Was Chhattisgarh by-poll in 2014 fixed? Ajit Jogi says NO

Today, the Congress claimed that the party stood vindicated, citing its complaint with the Election Commission in August 2014 itself about money exchanging hands to secure the withdrawal of Manturam.

The alleged leaked tapes of conversations between senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi, his son Amit Jogi, his “associates” and Puneet Gupta (son-in-law of Chief Minister Raman Singh) to “fix” a by-election previous year kicked up a political storm in Chhattisgarh and in Delhi on Wednesday. It is alleged that Gupta, Ajit and Amit Jogi tried to strike a deal to induce Manturam Pawar, the Congress candidate, to withdraw from the race for the Antagarh assembly seat.

Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said: “If the role of any Congress leader comes to light in the probe, then the party will take appropriate and strong disciplinary action on the basis of the probe…”

Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Congress issued a show cause notice to Amit Jogi, a member of the state Assembly seeking his explanation on the issue.

While Ajit Jogi termed the tapes as fake and said he would file a defamation suit against the newspaper, his son Amit lodged a complaint with the Bilaspur police against the newspaper and the correspondent for publishing “false” and “fabricated” story. The tapes now prima facie prove the allegation.

The party said Congress was “bankrupt” of ideas and using media reports and allegations of other parties as a “springboard” to attack it. “We held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar”, he said, adding that the Congress president will take a call on Jogi.

“This is not for the first time that such allegations have been levelled against my family, as two and a half years ago when there was an incident in the Darbha Valley, my father and family were dragged into it by BJP leaders, two of whom are now union ministers now – Narendra Tomar and J.P. Nadda”.

“Till the probe is completed by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, it will be unfair for Raman Singh to continue as chief minister. And for a fair probe, the CM should immediately resign”, he said.

Ajit Jogi was suspended from the Congress on a December night in 2003 after the BJP released an audiotape in which he was purportedly heard offering money to buy BJP MLAs to foist an alternative government supported by the Congress. “Only one industry is flourishing, bomb making…”, Mr Singh said.