Raipur: Former Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi was critically injured with his both legs paralysed when the vehicle in which he was on a campaign tour of his Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituency dashed against a tree in the wee hours today (Apr 11, 2004) and he was flown to Mumbai for specialised treatment.

State unit general secretary of Congress Mehttar Lal Sahu, accompanying Jogi in the car, and the driver were also critically injured in the accident, which took place at Gariabandh, about 130 kms from Raipur, when the 58-year old leader was on his way to Deobhang from Rajim for an early morning meeting for the April 20 polls. Jogi is pitted against Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) V C Shukla in the polls.

His two security guards, following him in a car, pulled out the profusely bleeding Jogi and the two others from the vehicle and took them first to a hospital near the accident site and then to a private nursing home Modern Medical Institute (MMI).

Doctors at MMI decided to shift Jogi to Bombay Hospital in Mumbai after an MRI scan on him showed serious spinal injuries. The Congress leader also suffered fractures and head injury.

Jogi was taken to Mumbai in a State Government aircraft after taking permission from the chief electoral officer A K Vijayvargie as the model code of conduct is in force for the Parliamentary polls.

Two doctors of MMI and Jogi's wife Renu and son Amit accompanied him to Mumbai.