Ajit Jogi begins poll campaign

Raipur, DHNS: If Ajit Jogi's party forms the next government in the state after the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, it will provide Rs 2,500 Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy, 100% reservations for local youth in government employment and 90% reservation in private sector industries, the former chief minister said.

The Chhattisgarh Janata Congress supremo said this as he began his election campaign from his residence in a bus modified for the purpose.

"We also promise to impose complete prohibition in the terrain area of the state, deposit Rs 1 lakh in the account of every girl child born in a BPL family, which will be a joint account with the district collector. It will mature to Rs 10 lakh when the child is 18-years-old," he told the mediapersons.

"Apart from that, for businessmen based in state, the GST would be curtailed to half and excise duty exempted," he said.

"We will also provide land titles to people from both urban and rural areas on the land they are residing in," Jogi said.

After a six-hour delay from the scheduled time at 12.00 pm, Jogi kicked off his campaign, with the first phase, Vijay Yatra, starting from the Banjari Temple in Birgaon in Raipur Rural Assembly constituency.

At presently, he is in campaigning in the Dharsiwa Assembly constituency.

According to the schedule, the "Vijay Rath" is expected to pass through 10 of the Assembly constituency areas and will culminate at Mahamaya Temple at Ratanpur on August 28.

Road shows and public meetings will be organised under the campaign at different places. With there having been a delay at the start, all programmes are expected to have slight changes.

In a major setback to Jogi's party, Youth Wing president Vinod Tiwari, along with hundreds of his supporters, left the party and joined the Congress.

He chose to join the Congress just as Jogi was starting his campaign and on the occasion of Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel's birthday.