Cong allows Jogi to campaign

Bowing to mounting pressure from party MLAs in Chhattisgarh to revoke former chief minister Ajit Jogi's suspension, Congress high command on Wednesday allowed him to campaign for the party in the coming Lok Sabha election.

Also Read Jogi appears before CBI in bribery case

Sources said revocation of Jogi's suspension may also be on the cards.

Jogi was suspended from the party after he was allegedly caught on audio tape in sting operation offering money to rival Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs to defect to the Congress.

"Jogi sought permission of the party to campaign in the coming polls and he has been allowed to do so in northeastern states," party spokesman Salman Khurshid told reporters in New Delhi.

Asked whether his suspension has been withdrawn, Khurshid said: "Whenever a decision is taken you will come to know."

Chairman of the party's disciplinary action committee L P Sahi said: "The matter is still pending before the DAC and we have not taken any decision."

In Raipur, Jogi said: "I was called by senior party leader Oscar Fernandes to Delhi on Tuesday evening. He asked me to campaign for the party in the seven northeastern states."

"I am grateful to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi for giving me this responsibility," he said and added that he would
start the campaign work from Thursday.