Ajit Jogi's wife to contest Chhattisgarh election as nominee of his party

Renu Jogi, wife of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, on Friday announced that she will contest the upcoming state assembly election from Kota as a candidate of her husband's party.

The announcement comes after the Congress released its final list of candidates Thursday and her name was missing from it.

Former police officer Vibhor Singh has been fielded from Kota in Bilaspur district by the Congress.

Miffed over the party's decision, Renu filed her nomination papers from Kota as the candidate of the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J), a political party launched by her husband Ajit Jogi in 2016.

"I had full faith in the Congress and (UPA chairperson) Sonia Gandhi ji. I have been a committed and dedicated worker of the Congress party," she said.

"But for the last two-and-a-half years, I was pained to see the treatment (by party leaders) towards me," Renu told reporters after filing her papers at Bilaspur collectorate.

Asked whether it was painful for her to quit the Congress, Renu replied in the affirmative, but maintained that there is a possibility they will be part of the 'mahagathbadhan', a possible grand alliance of opposition parties that is being talked about to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Finally, when I was denied ticket, I thought I was being insulted. Therefore, I quit the party. I have been connected to the people of Kota during my entire life (as a politician) and this will continue," she said.

"Today, I filed nomination from the party of my family JCC (J) and am confident that I will win," she added.

Interestingly, Ajit Jogi has so far never hinted that his fledgling outfit will be part of any anti-BJP grand alliance at the national level.

Renu was accompanied by her son Amit Jogi, the sitting MLA from Marwahi constituency, while filing her papers. This time, Ajit Jogi will contest from Marwahi.

After she was denied ticket, Renu, in a letter to Sonia Ganhi, had explained how she was being ignored by the present Congress leadership in the state.

In the letter, she wrote that she was removed from the post of deputy leader of opposition in the assembly and local Congress leaders tried to tarnish the image of her husband and son through "fake" CDs.

Despite all this, Renu said she continued to be a loyal soldier of the party.

Ajit Jogi's party, the JCC (J), has forged an alliance with the Mayawati-led BSP and the Communist Party of India (CPI) for this month's elections.

He has been nominated as the chief ministerial candidate of the three-party coalition.

In 2015-16, a feud ensued between the Jogi family and the local Congress leadership over an audio tape containing conversations about the 2014 Antagarh bypoll.

In the wake of the row, the Congress had expelled Amit Jogi from the party. Later, Ajit Jogi quit the Congress and floated his own outfit.

Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly will be held in two phases on November 12 and November 20. The counting of votes will be held on December 11.

In the 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 49 seats, the Congress 39, the BSP 1 and Independent 1.