Round one to CM Baghel in Chattisgarh tussle
NEW DELHI/RAIPUR: Bhupesh Baghel appeared to gain the advantage in the tussle for the chief minister’s chair in Chhattisgarh after a marathon meeting with the Congress top brass on Friday, saying that he invited former party chief Rahul Gandhi to visit the state next week and that the latter had accepted.
Baghel, who met Gandhi for the second time in three days, said that he had said “everything” to his leader.
“There was political conversation, talk about policies, about the state of Chhattisgarh. In the end I requested Rahul ji to come to Chhattisgarh and he accepted. He will come next week.”
Asked if he would still be chief minister when Gandhi arrived in Chhattisgarh, Baghel said he had invited him “as chief minister”.
The developments came three days after Baghel and his rival for the CM’S chair, state health minister TS Singh Deo, held long meetings with Gandhi, after which Baghel flew back to Raipur, held a show of strength, and met loyalists. Ahead of Friday’s crucial meeting, at least 45 of the party’s 70 lawmakers also flew to the Capital.
Congress leaders involved in the deliberations said during the meeting with Gandhi, Baghel spoke about the achievements of his government and listed some schemes to emphasise his success story before inviting the former party president to Chhattisgarh next week. Also present at the meeting were the party’s party general secretary incharge, PL Punia, and party general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal.
Asked about the reported twoand-a-half-year power-sharing agreement, Baghel pointed to a public denial by Punia. “Previously, Punia ji had made this clear. Once the general secretary says this, is anything left?”
Two Congress leaders pointed out that the show of strength of MLAS by the CM went in Baghel’s favour. “With the BJP aggressively playing the OBC (other backward class) card, the leadership also didn’t want to do anything against the wishes of the MLAS that would help the BJP,” said a senior leader on condition of anonymity. Baghel is an OBC leader. Another leader said that even if Baghel managed to save his seat for now, it would be “necessary to accommodate” Singh Deo suitably. The second leader added, “Singh Deo might be offered a better portfolio and may even be elevated to the deputy chief minister’s position. The other way out is to give Singh Deo a key assignment in the central leadership, but that is unlikely to accepted by a man who wants to be the CM .”
The conflict between Baghel adn Singh Deo stems from a reported power-sharing agreement between Baghel and Singh Deo reached in December 2018 when the Congress swept Chhattisgarh with 68 of 90 seats.
At the time, four state leaders, Baghel, current state home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, current speaker Charan Das Mahant and Singh Deo flew to Delhi, all eyeing the top post.
As Mahant settled for speaker, friction between Baghel and Singh Deo meant that Sahu first emerged the front-runner, but fuelled by the idea that a third leader would take the top position, Baghel and Singh Deo along with Punia and Gandhi reportedly came to a power sharing arrangement.
On Thursday, Singh Deo had indicated to the friction between the two leaders when he said that anybody that played on a team, “dreamt of being captain”.
His aides said that Singh Deo wanted the Congress to live up to the conditions of the reported power sharing agreement. Singh Deo has been in Delhi for at least a week. Even as Baghel travelled to Raipur on Tuesday night, people close to Singh Deo argued that they did not want to cause a “conflict” between supporters by flying to Raipur.
Beginning Thursday night, and then again on Friday morning, more than 45 MLAS, including four ministers and six mayors, left for Delhi. Some MLAS told HT on Thursday that they were going after phone calls from the CM’S aides. A few, however, also said that they had gone independently.
On Friday morning, the MLAS met Punia, and later in the evening went to the Congress headquarters where they met general secretary KC Venugopal.