Raipur, Nov. 14: Renu Jogi wants to carry forward the political legacy of her husband in Chhattisgarh, but the task may not be all that easy.

An ophthalmologist, Ajit Jogi’s wife took a firm step towards making her political debut when she staked claim to a Congress ticket for the Konta Assembly byelection in Bilaspur district.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Rajendra Prasad Shukla, the sitting legislator and first Speaker of the state Assembly, on August 20. Konta is a Congress stronghold where party candidates have not been defeated since 1953.

In the last election, BJP candidate Bhupendra Singh gave Shukla a hard time, managing to considerably reduce the margin.

While the BJP would try to improve on its previous performance and unseat the Congress, Renu’s decision to jump into the fray gave the bypoll a fresh twist.

While 30 of the Congress’s 35 MLAs have come out in support of Renu’s candidature by sending a memorandum to the party high command in her favour, her husband’s opponents have played the caste card to spoil her chances.

The group opposing Renu’s claim has argued that Brahmins have represented Konta since 1953 and the party should not put up a non-Brahmin candidate.

Ajit claims himself to be a tribal (the question of his caste identity is pending with a court) and his wife can find herself out of the fray if the detractors manage to convince the high command.

Amit, son of the former chief minister, recently met some senior Congress leaders to seek support for her mother.

The Konta bypoll will be held on December 4 and the results will be declared three days later.

The projection of Renu is seen as a move by the Jogi camp to keep the former chief minister’s legacy alive. Ajit is recovering from a spinal injury and has ruled himself out of full-fledged participation in political programmes.

Keeping a close eye on the Congress’s moves, the BJP’s local unit has approached the party high command, seemingly to decide on a “heavyweight” candidate.

In 2004, Renu successfully managed electioneering in the Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituency for her husband, who was bed-ridden after sustaining a serious injury in a road accident. It is believed that her poll management skills resulted in the defeat of stalwart Vidyacharan Shukla.

Ajit’s wife, reads the memorandum sent to Delhi, has organised several eye-camps in Konta and is popular among villagers.