Don’t approach me for tickets,Jogi tells followers

Denied any major role in the upcoming elections,former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi has found another way to protest against the high command — notice boards. He has put up two large boards outside his residence that say: “Kripya ticket ke liye mujhse sampark na karen. Ticket ke liye Congress Bhavan main mananiya Pradesh Adhyakshaji se sampark karen (Please do not contact me for tickets. Please approach the honourable PCC president at the Congress Bhavan).”

The boards came up after two long stays in Delhi when even after several meetings with senior leaders Jogi failed to secure anything major for himself or his family in the polls. The PCC saw a major expansion but he was merely included in the election committee that has several other members; his wife Renu Jogi was made vice-president besides 14 other leaders. He could not get any post for his son Amit Jogi,whereas his archrival Charan Das Mahant was elevated to the post of PCC president.

In fact,he returned on the same flight on which Chief Minister Raman Singh was travelling and his followers,in a rare show of strength,almost stormed the airport,forcing Singh to take another exit route. The followers are now sulking as they had pinned their ticket hopes on Jogi,who had almost single-handedly determined the ticket distribution in the 2003 and 2008 elections. The Congress,however,lost both the elections.

It is now expected that the sulking leader would not have any say in the ticket distribution also,a move that may intensify the rift in the party and lead to a possible split. In a statement to The Sunday Express,Jogi denied any dissent and said: “The boards only state the recent policy of the party that applications for tickets will now be invited from the district and block-level committees.”