Chhattisgarh's first chief minister Ajit Jogi dies at 74; condolences pour in

Ajit Jogi, an IAS officer-turned-politician who went on to become the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh in 2000, died at a private hospital in Raipur on Friday (May 29), doctors said.

Jogi (74) had been battling for life at the private hospital for the last 20 days and suffered a cardiac arrest in the afternoon, they said.

He is survived by his wife Renu Jogi, the MLA from Kota constituency, and son Amit Jogi, a former MLA.

Ajit Jogi breathed his last at around 3:30 pm at Shree Narayana hospital, Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Sunil Khemka, said. He had been admitted to the hospital on May 9 after he suffered respiratory and cardiac arrests and was in coma since then, he said.

Related news | Former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi is in coma, says doctor

He suffered another cardiac arrest this afternoon and could not be revived, he added.

Jogi was the incumbent MLA from his traditional Marwahi seat. A bureaucrat-turned politician, Jogi, then in Congress, had served as the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, which came into existence in November 2000. He served in the post from November 2000 to November 2003.

He parted ways with the Congress in 2016 after he and his son got embroiled in a controversy over alleged fixing of the by-election (2014) held for Antagarh seat in Kanker district. Subsequently, he formed his own outfit, Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC).

As condolences started pouring in, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said, “Saddened by the demise of Shri Ajit Jogi, the first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and a former Member of Parliament. My condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace,” in a tweet.

छत्तीसगढ़ के प्रथम मुख्यमंत्री व पूर्व सांसद श्री अजीत जोगी जी के निधन का समाचार सुनकर बहुत दुःख हुआ। मेरी संवेदनायें शोकाकुल परिजनों और सहयोगियों के साथ हैं। ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्मा को आशीर्वाद प्रदान करें। ओम शांति! pic.twitter.com/CzGLxfedwJ

— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) May 29, 2020

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too said he was sorry to hear about the passing away of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi. “I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Shri Ajit Jogi, former Parliamentarian and Chhattisgarh’s first CM. My condolences to his family, friends and followers in this time of grief. May he rest in peace,” he wrote on Twitter.

I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Shri Ajit Jogi, former Parliamentarian & Chhattisgarh’s first CM. My condolences to his family, friends & followers in this time of grief. May he rest in peace.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 29, 2020

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh described the death of Ajit Jogi as an irreparable loss to Indian politics.

अजीत जोगी जी के दुखद देहान्त के समाचार सुन कर बेहद दुख हुआ। मेरे निजि मित्र व साथी थे। परिपक्व राजनीतिज्ञ व कुशाग्र बुद्धि के धनी थे। मैं उनके प्रति श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करता हूँ। ईश्वर उनकी आत्मा को शांति प्रदान करें।

— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 29, 2020

“It is an irreparable loss for the Indian politics. He will be always remembered for the work he had done for Dalits, Backward Classes and the deprived sections of society,” Singh said in his condolence message.

Singh had played an important role in Jogi’s elevation as the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh after it was separated from Madhya Pradesh.

Congress leader Kamal Nath and BJP leader Gopal Bhargava also condoled Jogi’s death.