Chhattisgarh Tapes: EC orders probe, Congress issues notice to Amit Jogi, says Raman Singh must resign

Chhattisgarh politics has turned suddenly stormy. The Congress on Wednesday issued notice to Amit Jogi, son of party leader Ajit Jogi, over reported “conversations” published in a leading national broadsheet which suggest that Manturam Pawar, the Congress candidate in the Antagarh assembly byelection in 2014, was bribed and made to withdraw from the fray in 2014. The Indian Express reports that the Election Commission on Wednesday directed Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry and submit the report by January 7. “The EC has directed the Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh to urgently institute a suitable enquiry into the tape episode. He has been directed to submit a factual report latest by January 7 along with his comments,” an EC official is quoted as saying. The Indian Express has published tapes of several phone conversations purportedly between Ajit Jogi, his son Amit Jogi and Raman Singh’s son-in-law Puneet Gupta; between Congress candidate Manturam Pawar (who withdrew) and former Jogi loyalist Firoz Siddiqui; a third between Pawar, who is now with the BJP, and Siddiqui; between Siddiqui and another Jogi loyalist Ameen Memon; and between Amit Jogi and Siddiqui. Most of these purported conversations are in the run-up to voting day in August 2014. [caption id=“attachment_2565626” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Ajit Jogi. IBNLIVE[/caption] The party also demanded resignation of Chief Minister Raman Singh and a probe into the issue by a Supreme Court judge. The Indian Express revealed on Wednesday that the Jogis were in cahoots with the BJP in order to pay Pawar. BJP went on to win the elections easily after Pawar exited the race. The audio tapes in question are recordings of alleged phone conversations between the Jogis, Pawar, Chief Minister Raman Singh’s son-in-law Puneet Gupta, Firoz Siddiqui and Ameen Memon. Pawar is now with the BJP. With Ajit Jogi’s name also being mentioned in relation to some conversations, the party also sought a report from the state Congress on the issue. “The state Congress will give its report and then further course will be decided,” a party leader told IANS. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said a sitting judge of the Supreme Court should look into the issue and if there is involvement of party leaders that should also be probed. “Till the probe is completed by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, it will be unfair for Raman Singh to continue as chief minister. He must resign from his post for a fair and transparent probe,” Surjewala said. The Indian Express on Wednesday ran a story on audio tapes that suggested financial inducements could have been offered to Congress candidate Manturam Pawar who withdrew close to the date of the bypoll. He joined the BJP in March this year. Surjewala said that soon after the party candidate withdrew, they had moved the Election Commission seeking deferment of the bypoll. He said the party had also alleged then that the chief minister had offered allurements to the party candidate. Pawar has said no one had pressurised him to withdraw. Both Amit Jogi and Ajit Jogi have denied talking to anyone regarding the bypoll. Raman Singh said Pawar has stated that he withdrew on his own and there was no pressure on him. The Chhattisgarh election tapes controversy took another turn today when the Congress issued a showcause notice to Ajit Jogi’s son Amit Jogi over allegations that he was part of a conspiracy to ensure that Manturam Pawar, the Congress candidate in the Antagarh assembly byelection in 2014, is convinced to withdraw his candidacy at the last minute. With IANS inputs