Former CM of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi passes away on Friday at the age of 74, after being hospitalized in Raipur following heart attack. His death news was announced by his son Amit Jogi on Twitter.
Ajit Jogi was the former bureaucrat turned politician and an incumbent MLA from Marwahi seat, was the first CM of Chhattisgarh after it was carved out from Madhya Pradesh in November 2000.
The tribute poured in across the political spectrum. The Prime Minister offering his condolences to the bereaved family, twitted, “Shri Ajit Jogi was passionate about the public service and this passion made him word hard as bureaucrat and as the political leader”.
“Ajit Jogi’s death is an irreparable loss to the state as he laid a roadmap for the state and delivered eminent role as a skilled politician”, said Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, who declared a 3-day State mourning. He also added that “after the creation of the state, I got the opportunity as a cabinet minister in the government headed by Mr. Jogi. He set all the directions to works for the welfare of poor, villages and the farmers in the state.”
२० वर्षीय युवा छत्तीसगढ़ राज्य के सिर से आज उसके पिता का साया उठ गया।केवल मैंने ही नहीं बल्कि छत्तीसगढ़ ने नेता नहीं,अपना पिता खोया है।माननीय अजीत जोगी जी ढाई करोड़ लोगों के अपने परिवार को छोड़ कर,ईश्वर के पास चले गए।गांव-गरीब का सहारा,छत्तीसगढ़ का दुलारा,हमसे बहुत दूर चला गया। pic.twitter.com/RPPqYuZ0YS
— Amit Jogi (@amitjogi) May 29, 2020
Mr. Jogi lost the power in 2003 in the Assembly elections but remained as the tallest leaders of the Congress Party until he and his son got embroiled over a leaked audio tape in the end of 2005. He was expelled by the Congress Party. After several years Jogi floated to a regional outfit in Janata Congress Chhattisgarh.
The leaked audio tape was not only the controversy surrounded him, as he faced repeated scrutiny over his claim if being an Adavasi. Several petitions were filed against him and all of them were legally challenged.
Being an Engineering Graduate, gold medalist, and a successful IAS Officer, Jogi’s proximity to the Gandhi family transformed him to a seasoned politician. Mr. Jogi, in 1985 took charge of a prominent Adivasi face in the Congress party. In the year 1998, he won Raigarh Lok Sabha seat and became the spokesperson for the Congress party.
In 2000, when the new state of Chhattisgarh was formed, Sonia Gandhi has chosen Mr. Jogi to head the state. In 2004 he had a fatal car accident during election campaign that left him paralyzed and wheel-chair bound. He again went back to the state in 2008 in lieu to contest the Assembly elections from Marwahi seat and became the member of LokSabha in 2009, but he failed to win his seat in 2014.
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