BJP launches offensive against Jogi

BJP launches offensive against Jogi
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

RAIPUR, APRIL 3: The Chhattisgarh unit of the BJP has chalked out a strategy to launch an all-out offensive against Chief Minister Ajit Jogi.

As a first step, it has decided to organise a rally on April 12 to be addressed by senior leaders of the NDA, where ministers like L. K. Advani, George Fernandes, Yashwant Sinha, Sushma Swaraj are expected to address the Tehelka and Balco issues.

A senior party functionary told The Indian Express here yesterday that Chhattisgarh has been chosen as Jogi was the Chief Minister ``dearest to the AICC president''and because Jogi had raised the controversy over the disinvestment of Balco.

The state unit of the BJP is simultaneously engaged in collecting evidence of corruption and irregularities in the state during the tenure of the five-month-old Jogi government. The party has been highlighting corruption in relief work, purchases by the Tribal Welfare and Forest departments and mismanagement of rice mills. In the past two days, two Union Ministers of State Ramesh Bais and Raman Singh have held separate press conferences to highlight corruption in the state. They also charged the Chief Minister with violating law and order at Korba and fomenting communal and caste tensions.

The two-day executive committee meeting of the state unit of the BJP to be held here on April 6 and 7 will also be attended by party's national general secretary Maya Singh, who is in charge of Chhattisgarh.