BJP’s double whammy: After EC chief, ‘pro-Jogi’ Governor

In the Congress-ruled state of Chhattisgarh, the BJP managed to score on two fronts before the Assembly elections. First, it got state chief...

In the Congress-ruled state of Chhattisgarh, the BJP managed to score on two fronts before the Assembly elections. First, it got state chief electoral officer Ajay Singh removed, alleging serious irregularities in the voters’ list. Yesterday, Governor Dinesh Nandan Sahay was sent packing to pay the price for his proximity to Chief Minister Ajit Jogi.

While it took no time to convince the EC for shunting out Singh, the BJP had to wait a whole year for getting Sahay replaced. A senior BJP MP admits: ‘‘Personally, we had nothing against him (Sahay). But he never questioned him, even on serious constitutional improprieties.’’ He also admits having done intense lobbyings for the change before the polls.

The party’s annoyance with Sahay — a Samata Party leader — started as early as an year after he occupied the Raj Bhawan. Jogi had split 12 out of the 32 BJP MLAs and the BJP wanted the Governor’s intervention. That didn’t happen, and Jogi went ahead to induct four of them in the Cabinet.

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In the past two years, the BJP must have submitted two dozen memoranda to Sahay, levelling corruption charges against the Jogi government, claiming victimisation of political opponents and breakdown of law and order.

‘‘MLAs were beaten up mercilessly for taking out a peaceful procession and police broke the bones of the Leader of Opposition. Later, traders were lathicharged. But this government was not questioned even once,’’ a sitting BJP Central minister recalls.

At one time, when Jogi wanted the Governor to sign an ordinance for setting-up state Lokayukta, the BJP approached Sahay, asking him to return the ordinance as it lacked teeth. Moreover, the BJP alleged, the ordinance was to scuttle a probe started by the Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta on a complaint filed by Brij Mohan Aggarwal, alleging Rs 100 crore-scam in award of Hasdeo Bango canal project. The Governor cleared the ordinance.

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