Ajit Jogi may be kingmaker in Chhattisgarh

Bhopal: Maverick Ajit Jogi has hijacked BSP supremo Mayawati’s support from the Congress and may also have snatched victory from the grand old party in the process in the just-concluded assembly polls in Chhattisgarh. Such talks are being heard in the political circle in Chhattisgarh loudly after the two-phase assembly elections in Chhattisgarh ended on November 20.

As various exit polls dropped hints on BJP returning to power in Chhattisgarh for a record fourth time in a row in the polls, poll observers felt that the Congress might end up regretting not to have conceded just one more seat to BSP in Chhattisgarh to seal alliance with the Mayawati’s party and prevent a triangular contest in the elections to facilitate an easy victory for it.

The Congress sources said the BSP wanted six seats while Congress was willing to share only five seats with the party, leading the alliance talks to fall flat ultimately.

Mr Jogi, who founded Janata Congress Chhattisgarh after he broke away from the Congress a couple of years ago, seized the opportunity and forged alliance with the BSP, making the elections in Chhattisgarh a triangular contest.

“Twenty four seats in Bilashpur division comprising four districts are dominated by Satnami and other dalits, on whom Mr Jogi and BSP have sway. The dalits in the constituencies are known to be Congress vote bank and hence there is more likelihood of the alliance cutting votes of Congress”, poll observers said.

Besides, infighting in Congress in Chhattisgarh may have also affected party’s prospects in the state, sources said.

Chhattisgarh has 90 assembly seats. Sources said BJP’s efforts to retain its bastion in tribal belts of Bastar, Rajnandgaon and Sarguja (total 26 seats) may not have succeeded much, forcing the ruling party to focus on plain areas, particularly in Bilashpur division.