Ajit Jogi, the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, has passed away at the age of 74. He breathed his last at 3.30 pm at Shree Narayana hospital in Raipur on Friday. The announcement of his demise was made by his son Amit Jogi on Twitter. Jogi had been battling for his life at the hospital for the last 20 days and suffered a cardiac arrest in the afternoon.
"Not just me but Chhattisgarh has also lost its father today. Ajit Jogi ji has left for the heavenly abode, also leaving behind a family of 2.5 crore people," Ajit Jogi said in his tweet. "In this hour of sorrow, I am speechless. May his soul rest in peace. His last rites will take place at his birthplace in Gaurella," Jogi further said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on Jogi's demise and recalled him as a "hardworking bureaucrat and a political leader."
President Ram Nath Kovind said Jogi was an able administrator known for promoting the development of the state and its people. "Sad to hear of the passing of first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Shri Ajit Jogi. A man of many parts, Shri Jogi was an able administrator known for promoting the development of the State and its people. My condolences to his family, friends, and followers," his tweet read.
He is survived by his wife Renu Jogi, the MLA from Kota constituency, and son Amit Jogi, a former MLA. He had been admitted to the hospital on May 9 after he suffered respiratory and cardiac arrests and was in coma since then. According to Dr. Sunil Khemka, Medical Director of the hospital, Jogi suffered another cardiac arrest this afternoon and could not be revived.
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 JCC (J).
(With PTI inputs)
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