Ajit Jogi

Jogi studied Mechanical Engineering at Maulana Azad College of Technology, Bhopal, winning the University Gold Medal in 1968.[5] After having worked briefly as a lecturer at the National Institute of Technology, Raipur, he was selected for both the Indian Police Service and Indian Administrative Service.[6]

During the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha election over the Mahasamund seat, eleven independent candidates all named Chandu Lal Sahu filed to run.[7] At the time, Jogi's main contender was Chandu Lal Sahu of the BJP party.[7] Sahu ultimately won the election only by small margin of 133 votes[8] and Jogi was accused of planting those names to confuse voters.[7]

Jogi served as a District collector of Indore during 1981–85

• 1986–87 Member, All India Congress Committee (AICC) on welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
• 1986–1998 Member, Rajya Sabha (two terms)[6]
• 1987–1989 General secretary, Pradesh-Congress Committee, Madhya Pradesh and also, member of committees on Public Undertakings, Industries, and Railways.
• 1989 Central Observer of the Indian National Congress for elections to Lok Sabha from constituencies in Manipur.
• 1995 Central Observer of the Indian National Congress for elections to Sikkim Assembly.
• 1995-96 Chairman of Committees on Science and Technology and Environment and Forests
• 1996 Member, Core group, AICC Parliamentary elections (Lok Sabha)
• 1996 Indian Delegation to the United Nations for the 50th Anniversary Celebrations, New York.
• 1997 Observer, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Elections. Member, AICC. Member of committees on Transport and Tourism, Rural and Urban Development, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Coal, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Energy, Public Accounts Committee, Convenor, Sub-Committee on Indirect Taxes, Panel of Vice-Chairmen, Rajya Sabha
• 1997 Indian Delegation to 98th IPU Conference, Cairo
• 1998 Elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) to the 12th Lok Sabha for the Raigarh constituency in Chhattisgarh[9]
• 1998–2000 Spokesman, AICC, Whip, Congress Parliamentary Party, Working President, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee
• 1998–99 Member, Committee on Human Resource Development and its Sub-Committee-II on Medical Education, Committee on Coal, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Coal
• 2000–2003 Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh[6]
• 2004–2008 MP in the 14th Lok Sabha for Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh[10]
• 2008– Member of the Legislative Assembly of Chhattisgarh, representing the Marwahi constituency[4]

In June 2007, Jogi and his son were arrested in connection with the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) treasurer Ram Avtar Jaggi, who was shot dead in June 2003.[11] However, after five years of the registering of a case against him, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) based on an opinion of then Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG ) Gopal Subramanian said that Jogi could not be prosecuted under any law. However the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the Congress led UPA government misused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to protect Jogi.[12][13]

On 6 June 2016, Jogi announced he was breaking his affiliation with Indian National Congress at a political gathering in Chhattisgarh.[14]

In August 2019, a high-level judicial committee dismissed Jogi's claim of belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) and canceled all his caste certificates. Jogi was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record). Additionally, Jogi was accused of cheating and forgery in connection with the declaration in a poll affidavit submitted by him during the 2013 Assembly elections. Facing a first information report (FIR) and arrests in the fake caste certificate case, Jogi was admitted to a private hospital in Delhi-NCR after he complained of breathing problem.

Jogi died in the afternoon of Friday, 29 May 2020, aged 74. His son, Amit Jogi, confirmed the news on his official Twitter page. Jogi was admitted to hospital after a heart attack, which happened due to a tamarind seed which got stuck in his throat. [15]

The Janta Congress Chhattisgarh political party was founded by Jogi, after he and his son Amit were expelled from the Indian National Congress due to anti-party activities as well as sabotaging an Antagarh by-poll elections. Amit was expelled for six years.[16][17][18]

Jogi launched a party in Thathapur village of Kawardha district and directly challenged Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh.[19][20][21]

In February 2018, Jogi announced that he would contest the election from Rajnandgaon, and after some time he also announced that he would contest the election from Marvahi. On 29 April Jogi gathered more than 72000 people for rally on his birthday.