Lagatar24 Desk
Raipur, Sept.30: The turmoil in Congress-ruled states is showing no signs of slowing down. Following Punjab, Chhattisgarh is in the process of changing its Chief Minister. CM Bhupesh Baghel and Health Minister TS Singh Deo have met with the Congress’ top brass to discuss this. 13 MLAs from Chhattisgarh have now arrived in Delhi. They have requested a meeting with the high command. All of these members of the Legislative Assembly are close to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. These MLAs are led by MLA Brihaspat Singh. They will also meet with PL Punia, the state’s in-charge, to brief him on the state’s political scenario.
They said that 60 MLAs from the Chhattisgarh Congress had previously expressed their support for Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The Congress high command has been apprised of the MLAs’ decision. Brihaspat Singh, without identifying TS Singhdeo, who is running for chief minister, said that the future of 70 Congress MLAs could not be jeopardised to gratify one individual. Whatever modifications the Congress high command makes in other parts of the country, a condition is being laid to adopt the Chhattisgarh model. This does not leave any room for change in Chhattisgarh.
TS Singhdeo, the Health minister, stated that this is a democracy and that the Congress is an open platform. Appointments are made by top management. These MLAs would have met if they had been given more time. He stated that we are all aware of the discussions around Chhattisgarh politics. There’s nothing to be ashamed of about it. There was discussion of a shift; whether it happens or not is a matter of time, but it has been exposed. This issue was discussed the last time the MLAs went to Delhi. Perhaps the legislators are on their way to make their case. They must have travelled to Delhi to check what was going on.
In the Chhattisgarh Congress, however, two divisions have emerged. The TS Singhdev group is pressuring the high command to keep the two-and-a-half-year pledge. His supporters have spoken of resigning from the post of minister in the state, but Baghel is adamant that he will not leave his chair. In August, a large group of Congress legislators met with the party’s top leadership in Delhi.
In Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel is a powerful leader of the OBC castes. He had fought the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Simultaneously, the supporters of Health Minister TS Singhdev have not given up hope. He is a member of the royal family and one of the state’s wealthiest leaders. After Bhupesh Baghel, he played the most important role in the Congress’ return to Chhattisgarh after 15 years. In such a setting, the battle for the chief minister’s office in Chhattisgarh between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Baghel is far from over.
