In a muscle-flexing exercise, on Friday, hundreds of supporters of former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi gathered at his residence in the city to discuss strategies to be adopted against the expulsion of Marwahi MlA Amit Jogi from the Congress party for a period of six years.
Notably, a request had also been made by the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) to AICC President Sonia Gandhi for explusion of former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi also from the Congress party.
CGPCC had expelled Marwahi legislator Amit Jogi and also recommended for removal of former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi from the Congress party after they were accused of fixing Antagarh by-polls for the BJP in alleged audio tapes published by a National English news daily.
It was decided in the meeting that supporters of both the former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and MlA Amit Jogi from every Assembly segment will go to New Delhi for meeting the party high command and would request to revoke the CGPCC’s decision to expel Amit Jogi from the party.
Meanwhile, party sources said that Ajit Jogi is trying to work on two pronged- strategy which is, first try to convince party high command against alleged 'one side' action taken by CGPCC and another to hold discussion about forming a separate political party. But sources also said that majority of his supporters advised him to stay within the Congress fold and get the expulsion of Amit Jogi revoked.
Several Jogi loyalists including some sitting as well as former MlAs also took part in the gathering and extended their solidarity with the father-son duo.
Gunderdehi MlA Rajendra Rai termed the CGPCC decision as ‘one sided’ and said that both sides must have been heard before making any conclusion and we condemn the act, he said.
Congress legislator from Bilha Siyaram Kaushik, Sitapur legislator Amarjeet Bhagat, Akaltara MlA Chunnilal Sahu, MlA Amit Jogi, former MlA Dharamjeet Singh, Paresh Bagbahara, Vidhan Mishra, Dr Shiv Daharia and others took part in the meeting.