Chhattisgarh Congress on Thursday criticised the Bahujan Samaj Party’s decision to ally with former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi’s party for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, PTI reported. The Congress claimed that the tie-up has the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The party had been hoping to ally with Mayawati’s BSP to take on the BJP, which has been ruling the state since 2003. The Bahujan Samaj Party will contest 35 seats, while the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh will field candidates from 55 seats in the 90-member Assembly. “If we win, Ajit Jogi will become the chief minister,” Mayawati said on Thursday.
The Congress claimed the Bahujan Samaj Party has allied with the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh as it was under pressure from central investigating agencies. “Pressure from the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate on the Bahujan Samaj Party has led to the creation of this alliance,” state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel said. “This alliance had been formed with the BJP’s support and the people of the state had an understanding of it.”
Baghel said the Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded candidates in the elections in the state so far as per the BJP’s choice. “This time the party has been exposed by supporting Jogi who has acted as a ‘B’ team of the BJP,” Baghel added.
Meanwhile, the BJP said it saw no threat from the alliance between Mayawati and Ajit Jogi’s parties. “Hopes of the Congress were dashed as it had been trying for an alliance with the BSP,” BJP president Dharamlal Kaushik told PTI. “The political scenario emerging after the alliance between the BSP and the JCC reflects that the state will see a triangular fight in the coming election.”
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