Congress names Baghel chief minister of Chhattisgarh
Vows to waive bank loans taken by farmers within 10 days
State Congress president Bhupesh Baghel was yesterday named the new chief minister of Chhattisgarh.
He vowed to waive within 10 days bank loans taken by farmers — a campaign promise that led to the BJP’s rout in the assembly elections.
Shortly after the 58-yearold was elected the Congress Legislature Party leader by party MPs, the Congress leader announced that he would take the oath as the third chief minister of Chhattisgarh today at 4.30pm at the Science College Ground.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress observer for Chhattisgarh, told the media that Baghel was elected unanimously by MLAs but only he would take the oath today. The names of Ministers would be declared later “after detailed discussions with all stakeholders”.
“I am committed to waiving farmers’ bank loans within 10 days,” said Baghel, a father of four.
Unravel conspiracy
He added that the Congress government will unravel the conspiracy that led to the killing by Maoists of top Congress leaders in the Jheeram Valley in Bastar in May 2013, including the then state Congress chief Nandkumar Patel, the veteran V.C. Shukla and Mahendra Karma.
In his first tweet as Chief Minister elect, Baghel expressed his gratitude towards Congress President Rahul Gandhi and said Gandhi had given him the responsibility of building “a new Chhattisgarh”.
“I can assure the great people of Chhattisgarh that the new Congress government would live up to their expectations and wishes,” he added.
The Congress said on Twitter: “We wish him the best as he forms a government of equality, transparency and integrity starting off with farm loan waiver for farmers as we promised.”
Baghel is a powerful leader of the OBC (Other Backward Class) community that makes up 52 per cent of the state’s 25.5 million population.
The five-time MLA was elected from Patan in Durg district.