Ajit Jogi, first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, dies at 74

Ajit Jogi, who served as the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh after the formation of the state, died at 74 on Friday.

According to a statement by the hospital, the death took place at 3:30 pm. His condition deteriorated around 1:30 this afternoon as he suffered a cardiac arrest, said the hospital. After a two-hour effort, the doctors could not revive the patient.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel announced a three-day state mourning in memory of the first leader of the state. He will cremated with full state honours, said Baghel.

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“The death of the first Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Shri Ajit Jogi is a major political loss for the State of Chhattisgarh. He will live on in the memories of all the people of the state,” tweeted Baghel.

The former CM is survived by his wife Renu Jogi, MLA from Kota, and son Amit Jogi.

Jogi, a bureaucrat-turned-politician, suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this month and has been in a Raipur hospital since then. He was in a comatose state all through this period.

“In this moment of anguish, I have no words. I pray to god to give peace to @ajitjogi_cg ji’s soul and strength to all of us,” tweeted Amit Jogi. The junior Jogi said the funeral will take place tomorrow at his native land Gorela.

The son also shared pictures from the hospital where he last met his father. In one of the pictures, Amit Jogi, bent forwards, can be seen clutching his father’s feet and his head resting on the toes.

Senior Jogi was an MLA from Marwahi seat and helmed the first Congress government from November 2000 to November 2003.

The former chief minister parted ways with the Congress in 2016 after he and his son Amit Jogi got embroiled in a controversy over the alleged fixing of the bypoll to Antagarh seat in Kanker district in 2014.