Team News Riveting
Raipur, October 17
Soon after taking over as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh in November 2000, late Ajit Pramod Kumar Jogi first took up the task to secure a safe political home for him.
Being the Chief Minister, many sitting Congress legislators in the newly born Chhattisgarh offered to quit the constituency. But Jogi eyed Marwahi constituency that was then represented by BJP’s Ramdayal Uikey.
Despite having an absolute majority, Jogi forced Uikey to revolt in the BJP and resigned as MLA. This was the first political move of late Jogi that created his image of doing unfair political practices.
Actually, Jogi was emotionally attached to Marwahi; the underdeveloped hilly terrain where his ancestors lived. Jogi studied in Marwahi school and claimed to have trekked in the forests to collect produce.
For the last two decades, the constituency had been an unchallenged bastion of the Jogi family. His influence was such that in 2001, BJP’s official candidate went underground when pitted against Jogi in the by-poll and the party had to launch a manhunt to trace him out.
The constituency became a stronghold of Jogi as he sidelined the Porte family that had a big clout in the area. In 2003, 2008 and 2018, Jogi himself contested the election. In 2013, his son Amit represented the constituency. The Jogi family had been securing over 50 per cent votes in the segment.
After two decades, the family would be out of the political map of Marwahi. The returning officer on Saturday rejected the nomination papers Amit and his wife Richa during scrutiny on the ground that they failed to provide supporting documents to claim they belong to scheduled tribe (ST).
Marwahi seat is reserved for ST. Though Ajit Jogi’s ST status was also claimed, the issue remained sub judice till he died in May this year.
Now, when the lower authorities had proved that junior Jogi does not belong to the ST community, probably none from the family could now contest from the seat that Ajit Jogi nurtured.
