CHHATTISGARH TIMES.
Former chief minister Ajit Jogi is facing a daunting task of coordinating his poll bound activities in Marwahi constituency. The Janta Congress Chhattisgarh supremo is the party nominee for this high profile seat. Against all odds Jogi is battling it with a rejuvenated and united Congress party who has nominated Gulab Singh Raj, it’s noteworthy to mention that Gulab Singh’s family has a strong affiliation with the party and it can be said without hesitation that it is one of the better established political family of the region. Recalling events of yesteryears, during the period when Chhattisgarh was created Jogi had asked Ram Dayal Uikey of BJP to forfeit his seat who defected from the party and joined congress. Thus Marwahi became a stronghold of the Jogi family. His domicile from the place also cemented his seat from Marwahi. He was the undisputed Congress candidate from this very constituency and even when his son, Amit Jogi, fought the 2013 elections on a congress ticket his resounding victory by a margin of over 40000 votes said it all.
With the formation of JCC the poll arithmetic changed, “farmer with plough” is his party’s and election symbol yet to be known by the common village folks who still associate him with the Congress. This is proving to be a major hurdle for the Jogi camp and his supporters are trying for the best public awareness as it could be. Gulab Singh has the advantage of his supporters who are posing for a unified show. Erstwhile BJP stalwart late Bhanwar Singh Porte’s family member Archana Porte is the party’s candidate, being a new face her efforts on ground doesn’t seem impressive and the party is not backing her all out to bring in the best and desired outcome, so it isn’t definitive whether the party can really pull the strings to it’s advantage. Another candidate in the fray is Gondwana Gantantra Party whose candidate Ritu Pendram is also marring the electoral equation as locals say she is certain enough to get nearly 15000 ballots to her name. These combined with nominees from Aam Aadmi Party,Shiv Sena and various other Candidates are marginalizing the probability of a one man show of Ajit Jogi. His family after all could not spend the force totally on Marwahi as they have Akaltara as well as Kota to manage and Ajit Jogi now mainly relies on the efficiency of his loyal party workers.
With central cabinet minister Rajnath Singh describing him as a friend things have taken a different turn which may be embarrassing for the former chief minister. Ajit Jogi has a hard battle to fight but how much well fought can only be told on the day results are declared.
