Congressman and former president of Bodri Nagar Panchayat, Jagdish Kaushik, who had been fasting to death for the previous three days, ended his hunger strike on 29th March. He was protesting Bhilai Nagar MLA Devendra Yadav’s selection as the Lok Sabha candidate for the Bilaspur seat. Vijay Kesharwani, the president of the Congress district in Bilaspur, offered him water and juice to break his fast and promised to take his concerns into consideration on behalf of the senior Congress leadership.
Devendra Yadav’s candidacy was contested by the 40-year-old leader who referred to him as an “outsider.” On 27h March, Jagdish Kaushik started his hunger strike by refusing food and liquids in front of the Congress Bhawan. He did not agree when Congress leader and Kota lawmaker Atal Shrivastava and other Congress officials tried to pacify and convince him.
“Why I have not been given a ticket from the Bilaspur Lok Sabha seat? What was lacking in my penance? The party high command (State/Central) should address (it). Give justice. Till justice is meted out (the protest will be continued),” read pamphlets pasted by him on a wall of the party’s Bilaspur district office where he was protesting. He had declared that he would not stop his agitation until the party’s high command granted him justice.
Congress district president rushed to the Congress building after learning of the occurrence. Senior Congressmen, however, are reported to have guaranteed Jagdish Kaushik that his reservations would be taken into account and that he would be assigned a significant role inside the party.
President of the Bilaspur District Congress Committee (Rural), Vijay Kesharwani, mentioned that Jagdish Kaushik was the president of the Bodri Nagar Panchayat from 2009 to 2014 and is currently employed with the Congress party. He claimed that when Congress MLA Atal Srivastava and other party officials met with him, they persuaded him to break his fast, but he refused. He noted that attempts are being made to convince him to stop protesting.
The wife of Jagdish Kaushik and their two sons came to the Congress building on the morning of 28th March. She even threatened to fast with her kids as a sign of support for her spouse. They then all took a seat in front of the building. She highlighted that her husband deserved to be granted a ticket because of his persistent efforts on behalf of the Congress party. She vowed that she and her children would fast together until her husband’s demand was fulfilled and she would hold the Congress party accountable for any adverse outcomes.
Following news that Jagdish Kaushik had called off his hunger strike, Bhilai MLA and Lok Sabha candidate Devendra Yadav and his supporters also made their way to the Congress building. He gave Jagdish Kaushik some juice and had a conversation with him, asking for assistance in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll.
