Raising a banner of revolt, senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi today threatened to form a new party and attacked his parent party as "B team" of BJP there, drawing sharp reaction from the AICC.
Jogi's rebellion from Congress came almost six months after the party expelled his son Amit Jogi over alleged "fixing" of a 2014 assembly bypoll to ensure ruling BJP's win in Chattisgarh.
The AICC had then also contemplated taking action againt Ajit Jogi but no decision was taken after that. Jogi's move to quit Congress and float a new party to challenge the Raman Singh government is also being linked to the speculation about expected elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the party President but he denied the suggestion saying "that has nothing to do with it."
The former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh said that he is under tremendous pressure from his supporters. "Around 15,000 persons are talking to me personally or on phone. I am under tremendous pressure from my well-wishers, supporters and friends that if Chattisgarh has to be made free from Raman Singh, then I will have to take this big step.
"Otherwise, Raman Singh will win the state for fourth time as well as as there is no hope from Congress, which is playing as B Team of Raman Singh," Jogi said. His remarks are significant coming in wake of media speculation that he will break away from Congress and announce formation of a new party on June 6 in Marwahi.
Jogi said that his workers are pressurising him to get rid of this government and "unless I lead that is not possible. That is why on the 6th, I will go to Marwahi, which is my birth place. That day I have also called 5,000 of my core supporters from all over the state. I will ask them."
To a question about whether he talked to the leadership in this regard, Jogi said," enough of talks have taken place in last three years. Now there is compulsion."
Reacting sharply to the remarks, Jogis'old rival AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, recalled his role in the Antagarh assembly bypoll and referred to the audio tape regarding "fixing" of the election by Jogi.
"The manner in which Jogi has sold off the Congress candidate Manturam Pawar to the BJP is for all of you to see. It is beneficial for Congress if such persons leave the party, who are engaged in trading the declared candidate of Congress for some crores of rupees," Singh said.
On January 6, cracking the whip over the issue of alleged fixing of Antagarh by-poll, the AICC had expelled Amit Jogi for six years and sought a report from the state unit on the entire matter.
The next day, Chhattisgarh unit of Congress had submitted a report to the AICC demanding "sacking" of Ajit Jogi.
The action had come days after some audio tapes emerged suggesting financial inducements behind the party's candidate withdrawing from an assembly by-election in the state last year.
The purported conversations among key political players of that time also hinted at the role of Ajit Jogi and Amit.
The PCC had asked for an explanation from Amit Jogi after this. In his communique, Amit had then denied the allegations.
Meanwhile, Jogi told PTI in Raipur, "I have been meeting a lot of my supporters and they told me the current government has ruined the state and looted its natural resources... But the Congress leadership has failed to give a fight to BJP.
"Party's state unit chief Bhupesh Baghel and the leader of opposition in the Assembly TS Singhdeo are on the back foot by their own acts".
He said, "The state needs a strong opposition. My supporters and well wishers want me to take a decision to free this state from the corrupt governance. I will take a call in this regard on June 6."
Jogi clarified he has not resigned from the party and has been in constant touch with the party high command in Delhi. However, he refused to divulge details of his conversation with party's central leadership.
Responding to a query on how many Congress MLAs are in touch with him, he said, "Several leaders and legislators are in my contact. Everybody knows who are with me and who are not."
Jogi claimed in each and every constituency he has specific voters and supporters and the Congress cannot even win 10 seats of the total 90 seats in the state without him.
He challenged the party's state unit chief Baghel to win his Patan Assembly seat in the next Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Baghel said party leaders in Delhi will be apprised about Jogi's comment on state Congress leaders.
"Jogi has not given resignation from the party therefore he is a party member as of now. The party high command will be informed about whatever he has said about the state party leadership," Baghel said.
He rubbished Jogi's claim that Congress leaders are acting like a "B team" of the BJP government in the state.
"People of the state are well aware of the fact who is with the government and who is not," he said.
At the AICC briefing in Delhi, party spokesman Jairam Ramesh said Jogi's parting of ways was painful.
He said Jogi had been given all by the party. He was made a CWC member and chief minister. If he had any grievances, these could have been heard.
However, talk among the AICC circles was that Jogi's exit from the party would make the Congress strong in Chhattisgarh.
The refrain was that Jogi was instrumental in sabotaging the chances of the party in the Assembly polls for the past over a decade as he often worked against the interests of the organisation.
BJP's Raman Singh could remain chief minister because of the politics played by Jogi within Congress, his detractors in the AICC said.