Raman accepts Jogi's challenge

Raipur, Sep 27 (UNI) Accepting rival Congressman and former chief minister Ajit Jogi's challenge to contest Assembly election against him, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said Mr Jogi should stick to contesting from one constituency.

''I accept Mr Jogi's challenge provided he shall contest from a general seat and not a reserved one. On my party's directive, I will contest from a general seat and Mr Jogi should muster courage to seek election from there only '', Dr Singh told UNI.

Dr Singh asserted that he was not going to contest from two seats in any circumstances and Mr Jogi should also take such a stand. ''There should be a one-to-one contest and the people will have to choose either Raman or Jogi.'', the BJP leader said.

''There is no words like 'challenge' and 'boast' in my dictionary but I would like to reply in their own language if they consider it as my weakness'', Dr Singh said referring to his critics.

Dr Singh's offer comes in the wake of reports that Mr Jogi was trying to seek ticket from his traditional Marwahi(ST) constituency.

For a long time, Mr Jogi was posing the challenge to Dr Singh to contest from any seat in the state.

Speculations were rife that Mr Jogi may contest from two seats, including Marwahi reserved for Scheduled Tribe.

The Chief Minister said he would like to contest elections on political issues, but unfortunately some people wanted to make it at personal level.

''Voters of Chhattisgarh had already taught a lesson to egoists in the last elections and they would repeat it this time also'', Dr Singh added.

Notwithstanding his reluctance to attack on personal level during campaign, Dr Singh said he definitely wanted to compare the BJP government's performance during the five-year rule with Mr Jogi's three-year regime, when people lived under terror.

UNI AS-BDG SLD HT1805