Jogi campaign holds back Congress team

Desperate to get his suspension revoked before Lok Sabha elections, former chief minister Ajit Jogi today stepped up his campaign to build p...

Desperate to get his suspension revoked before Lok Sabha elections, former chief minister Ajit Jogi today stepped up his campaign to build pressure on Congress president Sonia Gandhi. After having his supporters stage a protest rally at Raipur airport, he went on to declare a weeklong schedule of appearances at 8216;8216;dalit sammelans8217;8217;.

An hour before Jogi8217;s arrival from Chennai, his supporters stormed the airport and greeted PCC president Motilal Vora and CWC member Ashok Gehlot with slogans against his suspension. Vora and Gehlot were persistently asked to give commitment on Jogi8217;s reinstatement failing which protests would continue.

Vora and Gehlot are on a three-day visit to the state to hold workers8217; meetings in Bastar and Dantewara, the tribal belt where the Congress was completely wiped out in the last Assembly elections. The leaders are on a brief to study the reasons for the Congress reversals in the tribal belt that had remained a stronghold of the party for years before Jogi became Chief Minister. Shyama Charan Shukla, PCC working president Charan Dass Mahant and CLP leader Mohinder Karma are also accompanying them on the tour.

The team was stuck at the airport for more than half an hour as protesters blocked their way. This is the second time Jogi8217;s supporters have held protests over his reinstatement.

Earlier, Jogi8217;s supporters had disrupted party meetings in Raipur, Bilaspur and Raigarh. Around 27 sitting Congress legislators, beside half a dozen former MLAs, had also signed a memorandum demanding his reinstatement.

Jogi, on his arrival later this evening, finalised his schedule to go ahead with the caste sammelans and thereby to prove to the high command that his name holds just as good as before. His supporters claim that if Jogi was not reinstated before the Lok Sabha elections, the party would pay the price.

Sources said Jogi has started sending signals to the party about his desire to contest Lok Sabha elections against former union minister Vidya Charan Shukla who has floated a regional political outfit to contest the election as NDA partner.