Chhattisgarh: Ajit Jogi factor did us in, say Congress leaders

As a red-faced Congress after gulping a humiliating defeat in Chhattisgarh sat to do serious introspection it has emerged that the Ajit Jogi factor played a big role in its 49-39 loss.

“Nobody would buy this argument now that it was neither Modi factor nor Raman Singh but our own follies that did us in. Jogi was the biggest of them,” said a Congress functionary.

Despite the unease of several senior functionaries, Jogi was made instrumental in giving tickets to 34 candidates, including a majority of 27 sitting MLAs. Most of them lost their seats.

Most of the candidates that Jogi had proposed lost while the candidates he had opposed tooth and nail won handsomely.

“The BJP managed only 0.7 % more votes than us. We lost at least a dozen seats by very thin margin which means that while mood of the people was for a change, our choice of candidates was wrong. This needs a serious study,” said a party functionary.