We Are Harming Both BJP, Congress Equally, Says Ajit Jogi

Ajit Jogi, the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, may become kingmaker in the mineral-rich state he ruled for three years.

Predicting the results of the closely contested election would be difficult as his two-year-old party in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party is an unknown factor, Jogi said in an interview with BloombergQuint days before results of elections in five states are announced.

The BJP led by Chief Minister Raman Singh has ruled Chhattisgarh for the last three terms but it has always been in a close race with the Congress. In the last two elections, the BJP’s vote share was just 1 percent higher than the Congress. The BSP that has now allied with Jogi’s party had a 4 percent share in the last election. That has made this election unpredictable.

While the Congress accused the new combine of helping out the BJP by splitting its vote, Jogi said his alliance will harm both the national parties equally.

Jogi has been targeting three-time Chief Minister Singh on the campaign trail, but he has been careful to avoid any criticism of the Gandhi family that leads the Congress. He attributes that to a long and personal relationship he shared with Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi. But Jogi doesn't share the same rapport with Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

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