Former Congress leader Ajit Jogi names his political outfit as 'Chhattisgarh Janta Congress'

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ajit Jogi was a member of the Congress Working Committee.

Raipur: Former Congress leader Ajit Jogi on Tuesday announced the name of his political outfit. It will be called as 'Chhattisgarh Janta Congress'.

Earlier, he had given people a form in which options were provided to decide the new party's name and symbol.

The options mentioned in the form were - Chhattisgarh Vikas Congress, Chhattisgarh Lok Party, Chhattisgarh Vikas Party, Chhattisgarh Congress, Chhattisgarh Jan Congress, Chhattisgarh Swaraj Party, Chhattisgarh Rashtriya Samiti and Chhattisgarh Apna Dal.

In the first week of June, he had made a formal announcement to float a new political party, days after he had raised a banner of revolt against Congress accusing it of working as the 'B team' of BJP in the state.

The announcement had marked the culmination of the long-drawn factionalism within the Chhatisgarh party unit led by Bhupesh Baghel.

While addressing a huge gathering at his son Amit Jogi's constituency at Marwahi in Bilaspur district on June 06, Jogi had released a 'Kotmi Declaration' in which he had claimed to form his government with full majority in 2018 Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh.

On June 2, Jogi, who has been in sulk for long, had hinted at formation of his political party and asked his supporters and media to wait till June 6 for a formal announcement.

Jogi was a member of the Congress Working Committee.

Jogi was accompanied by his wife Renu, who is the Congress MLA from Kota, son Amit, Gundardehi MLA Rajendra Kumar Rai, Bilha MLA Siyaram Kaushik and former legislators and Congress leaders Vidhan Mishra and Dharamjeet Singh, on the stage.

In January, the state Congress unit had expelled Amit Jogi from the party for a period of six years after some audio tapes purportedly revealed that the bypoll held for Antagarh Assembly seat in 2014 was fixed. The seat went to BJP as the Congress candidate had pulled out of the race apparently over financial inducements.

The state Congress had also sought termination of the Jogi senior from the party. 

(With PTI inputs)