Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ajit Jogi has struck an emotional chord with the voters of his home constituency Marwahi on Friday by writing letters to them saying that the 2013 Assembly polls could be his last election.
The letterhead carried his photo and the name of the voters. Accusing Jogi of violating model code of conduct, Chabria Puran, a resident of Pendra under Marwahi seat, has filed a petition before the local returning officer seeking action on the matter against the Congress veteran. The senior Congress leader wrote that the people of Marwahi have been voting in favour him all the time in such a way that it cannot be returned back by him or his next ten generations.
Jogi also allegedly tried to strike an emotional chord by saying that the people were behind him during every crisis whether it was when he was the Chief Minister or when he was out of power. “Despite being physically challenged, you never make me feel that I am weak” Jogi allegedly wrote in the letter referring to the up and down he faced during his long political career.
An inland letter costs only Rs 2.50 but one has to pay as many as six rupees to send a printed inland letter. This was itself a violation of code of conduct as well as misuse of inland letters. The Election Commission should include such expenses in his election expenditure, said Puran seeking criminal action against Jogi.
He also accused Jogi’s wife Renu of influencing voters and said she has been exploiting their religious sentiments. She was distributing items like utensils, sports items to the people, he alleged.