Despite losing three consecutive Assembly elections and the subsequent Lok Sabha elections in the last 11 years in Chhattisgarh, the Congress party looks a divided house in the State.
The recent appointments of new district presidents for 29 districts of the state are stuck in controversy as supporters of the former CM and senior Congress leader Ajit Jogi alleged that they were ignored.
However, the state unit Congress president Bhupesh Bhagel brushed off the allegations.
“We met Mr. Jogi before making the appointments and took his consent. There is no division in the party,” Mr. Baghel told The Hindu .
But according to a leader close to the Jogi camp, this “overlooking” of Jogi supporters is not the first such instance.
“Since the time Congress lost its first Assembly elections in the state, the party is pursuing ‘anybody but Jogi’ policy in Chhattisgarh. The Chief Minister Raman Singh has a party behind him but for Ajit Jogi, the party is after him,” said the leader wishing to remain anonymous.
According to a leader close to the state unit Congress president, the party has given Ajit Jogi "everything", but he is not supporting the party “wholeheartedly” in the state.
“The party made him the first CM of the state. His wife and his son are MLAs. Still he is lobbying for his son Amit to be made the working president of the state Congress,” claimed the leader.
Mr.Amit Jogi, who is an MLA from Marwahi, denied any such moves by his father.
“There are many senior leaders in the state including Mr Baghel, Motilal Vora, TS Singh Dev and Charandas Manant. But Ajit Jogi wants only his supporters in plum posts,” alleged another leader adding that Mr. Jogi’s defeat in recent Lok Sabha elections was an indication that his fortunes were declining.
