Defeated Jogi plotted defection, sank own ship

Jogi, in his turn, had endorsed whatever Tiwari had suggested.

However, today morning, Tiwari found it difficult to believe that Jogi had played the defection game and lost. ‘‘It hardly hurt me when Congress lost, but today I am hurt and find myself broken at this act of shame,’’ he says.

For Jogi, who led the party to a humiliating defeat despite all the good works he did on the development front, there are hardly any words of sympathy in the Congress now. Some party stalwarts like Shyama Charan Shukla and Motilal Vora — whose sons also lost in the polls — lay the blame at Jogi’s door for the party’s defeat in the state. ‘‘It’s Jogi, not the Congress, who lost this election. In fact, the Congress was no where on the scene. Didn’t you see his cutouts and banners asking the people to vote and elect Jogi as chief minister?’’ asks Tiwari.

Former Union minister V.C. Shukla, who now leads the NCP in the state and takes the credit for defeating the Congress, had a single-point agenda — ousting Jogi from power.

However, Jogi, unwilling to accept defeat like his counterpart Digvijay Singh, was upto a new game to prove that he was down but not out. And he would have succeeded too, had it not been for the fact that he was caught on audio tape while offering cash to the newly-elected BJP MLAs.

As a precursor to his defection game, Jogi had quietly convened a meeting of the newly-elected MLAs to get himself elected as CLP leader three days ago. This without the AICC’s knowledge, but Shyama Charan Shukla and Motilal Vora had got a tip-off and had sounded the AICC, thus foiling his game plan. ‘‘Now we know why he was in such a hurry to get himself declared CLP leader. That would have given him authority to decide on whether to support the BJP breakaway faction in forming an alternative government or not,’’ a senior MLA alleges.

Now, with Jogi suspended and invalid for the post of Opposition leader, Congress has an uphill task of reorganising itself and building a new leadership in the state.

The general perception is that since Jogi was never an organisation’s name — he trusted bureaucrats more than his political colleagues — his ouster is not going to make much difference. Admits S.C. Shukla: ‘‘The entire PCC needs a thorough revamping. This will also help the Congress revive its traditional base.’’

PCC president Ramanuj Lal Yadav — a lightweight leader — continued to hold his post despite frequent demands for his removal and the handing over of the party reins to a strong leader. However, since Yadav was not as big a threat as V.C. Shukla, Shyama Charan Shukla and Charan Dass Mahant — all party MPs — Jogi had retained him as party chief.

Jogi had never consulted them on crucial matters. But now, there are chances that he may make a desperate attempt to reorganise Dalit-adivasi

and OBC groups to counter the Congress’s move to expel him.