Amid uncertainty over whether Chhattisgarh would see leadership change and barely a month after Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel handled the leadership crisis by meeting Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and bringing Congress MLAs along with him as a show of strength, the problem seems to have escalated again.
Sources told News18 that seven MLAs from Chhattisgarh on Tuesday afternoon left for New Delhi where they are expected to hold a meeting with the Congress high command.
On Saturday, in a bid to address the speculation over his CM chair, Baghel, who sometimes refers to himself as ‘kaka’ (a local term for uncle) of youths and children in the state, had said that ‘Kaka’ is still alive
While addressing a function organized by the state unit of the Indian Pharmacists Association on World Pharmacists Day, he said, “Chhattisgarh is rich in medicinal plants, and his government will support those who want to manufacture medicines using them. When some people from the gathering shouted “Bhupesh Kaka Zindabad,” a smiling chief minister responded, Kaka abhi zinda hai (Uncle is still alive),” eliciting laughter from the crowd.
Also Read: ‘Kaka’ is Still Alive, Baghel Tells Supporters in Singh Deo’s Presence
Health minister TS Singh Deo, his rival in the state Congress, was present on the same stage.
A video clip of Baghel’s one-line remark was widely shared by his supporters on social media. The CM himself posted the clip on his Twitter and Facebook accounts with the caption “Kaka abhi zinda hai”. Addressing the same program, Singh Deo praised the chief minister for dealing with demands of all the departments including health with sensitivity.
Chhattisgarh has emerged as a model state on many fronts under Baghel’s leadership, he said. Later, when asked by reporters about the so-called power-sharing formula under which he and Baghel were supposed to be chief minister for two and a half years each, Singh Deo said the issue will be resolved soon.
This question comes up everywhere. I believe it will be resolved soon…There is so much curiosity that only one question is asked at every press conference,” he said. Singh Deo further said if the issue was being discussed in public, the media only echoes it. “I just want to appeal to people not to get too distracted. Ultimately we have to work for the welfare of Chhattisgarh,” he said.
The demand of change of guard reared its head after Baghel completed two and a half years as chief minister in June 2021. The Singh Deo camp claimed that the high command in 2018 had agreed to hand over the post to him after the government completed half its term. Congress in-charge of the state P L Punia has time and again denied that any such deal was struck in 2018 when the party came to power by dislodging the BJP. In July, Congress MLA Brahaspat Singh alleged that there was a threat to his life from Singh Deo. The MLA, who hails from Singh Deo’s home turf Sarguja, later withdrew the claim.
The Congress high command summoned both Baghel and Singh Deo to Delhi in August to resolve the feud. It appeared that Baghel had won this round when he told reporters upon return that party leader Rahul Gandhi had agreed to visit the state `on his invitation’, and those talking about rotating the CM’s post were promoting political instability. As many as 54 out of 70 Congress MLAs had visited Delhi separately when Baghel was in the national capital, in an apparent show of strength on his side. While both Baghel and Singh Deo have desisted from saying anything about the leadership issue since then, the feud has not abated.
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