Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi claimed on Friday minutes after the dates announced for Assembly polls, that his party would get a thumping majority in Chhattisgarh.
“In Chhattisgarh, Congress will form the government, we will get the thumping majority,’’ Jogi told The Pioneer, adding, “I welcome the announcement of the poll dates and his party and workers are fully ready to face elections’’. Chhattisgarh where the BJP is in power for the past 10 years, will go polls first in two phases, Nov 11 and Nov 19. The results for Chhattisgarh along with others states to be announced on December 8.
Responding to a query who would be the chief ministerial candidate of the Congress in Chhattisgarh polls, the bureaucrat-turned-politician Jogi remarked, RsRsCongress does not follow the tradition of announcing candidate for CM post before polls, after results party observers will take the final call,’’.
Congress is split into several groups and sub-groups in Chhattisgarh after it was voted out from power in late 2003 assembly polls. The two formidable factions in the state are led by State Congress Chief and Union minister of State Charandas Mahant and Jogi respectively. Jogi said, “free for all in Chhattisgarh and rampant corruption besides rise in Maoist militancy would help Congress to return to power,’’. He insisted that State was under anti-incumbency wave which would surely benefit Congress for 90-member assembly polls.
In last assembly polls held in Chhattisgarh in 2008, the BJP had won 50 seats while the Congress bagged 38 and the Bahujan Samaj Party two seats.