Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | 07:44 PM ISTहिंदी में पढें
Business Standard
Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

How Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel got his maths right

The new chief minister predicted the departure of Jogi would benefit the Congress

Bhupesh Baghel
premium

Bhupesh Baghel (left) had predicted that Ajit Jogi’s exit would cost the Congress 4 per cent votes, but eventually help gain 6 per cent votes. He was right — the party this Assembly poll gained 2.67 per cent votes

R Krishna Das
Bhupesh Baghel, now chief minister of Chhattisgarh, was sitting relaxed  in the party office  in the first week of January 2016. That was soon after the expulsion of Amit Jogi, son of Congress strongman Ajit Jogi, from the Congress. Baghel appeared unperturbed by the development.
 
The fear was that the disciplinary action against his son would propel the senior Jogi, former chief minister, to hit back. But Baghel, Chhattisgarh Congress Committee chief, played it down.
 
“Yes, I agree! Jogi will take away about 4 per cent of the Congress vote,” he responded tranquilly to one of the four