New Delhi: The controversy surrounding Chhattisgarh assembly bypoll audio tape row today reached the national captial with Congress' state unit submitting a report to the AICC demanding "sacking" of former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and the latter's wife seeking time from Sonia Gandhi.
"We have submitted our report to the AICC and urge the party leadership to immediately expel Ajit Jogi. His continuance in the party will damage Congress further in Chhattisgarh," state Congress Chief Bhupesh Baghel told reporters after meeting AICC general secretary in-charge of the state B K Hariprasad and party's old guard from the state Motilal Vora.
Congress Legislature Party leader T S Singh Deo also accompanied Baghel. The state Congress leaders also talked over phone to A K Antony, the Chairman of AICC Disciplinary Action Committee, who was in Kerala. Since Antony was not present, they submitted the report to Vora, who is also part of the three-member disciplinary panel.
Since Jogi is a member of Congress Working Committee, the PCC cannot take any action against him on its own. The action against a member of the CWC, the party's top-most decision making body, has to be taken by the party President after a report by the disciplinary committee.
With the state unit submitting its report to the panel today, the process for taking a call on Jogi's fate has been set in motion.
Chhattisgharh Congress had yesterday expelled for six years Jogi's son and party MLA Amit Jogi.
The action happened days after an audio tape was released by an English daily which purportedly contained telephonic conversations between Ajit Jogi, his son Amit,
Chief Minister Raman Singh’s son-in-law Puneet Gupta, Congress candidate Manturam Pawar and former Jogi loyalists Firoz Siddiqui and Ameen Memon allegedly to "fix" the Antagarh bypoll held in 2014.
The leaked tape, which has conversations suggesting money changed hands to make Pawar, Congress candidate for the seat, withdraw at the last minute to facilitate the BJP nominee's victory, has triggered a huge political storm in Chhattisgarh with Baghel serving a show cause notice to Amit Jogi last month seeking his reply within seven days.
"Amit Jogi, Congress MLA from Marwahi constituency has been expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years. Besides, a resolution has been passed by the state party unit to terminate Ajit Jogi from the party," state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel had said in Raipur yesterday.
A meeting of the Pradesh Congress Committee also adopted a resolution "condemning" the tape controversy. Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi's wife Renu Jogi, also an MLA, has sought appointment from Congress President Sonia Gandhi to present the Jogi side of the story.
