The power struggle in the Chhattisgarh Congress unit has taken a curious turn even as Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is due to meet Rahul Gandhi on Friday.
Baghel has been summoned to Delhi to meet the Congress leadership.
The Congress, which returned to power in the state after 15 years in 2018, is witnessing a tussle between Baghel and Health Minister T.S. Singhdeo, who has staked his claim to the post of chief minister citing a post-poll agreement on rotating chief ministership. Baghel and Singhdeo had met Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday. They again held discussions with Venugopal on Wednesday.
The Indian Express reported that as many as 26 MLAs of the Congress, as well as ministers, from Chhattisgarh arrived in Delhi on Thursday to show their support for Baghel. The Congress won 68 seats in the 90-member Assembly in the 2018 election.
The Indian Express reported that “Ministers Shiv Daharia, Amarjeet Bhagat and Anila Bhedia, along with party MP Chaya Verma and more than two dozen MLAs, left for Delhi” by chartered flight from Raipur.
Devendra Yadav, a Congress MLA from Bhilai, was quoted by The Indian Express as saying, “The government is working under Bhupesh Baghel’s leadership.”
ANI reported that the Congress MLAs met P.L. Punia, the Congress in-charge for Chhattisgarh, late on Thursday.
Baghel had returned to Raipur on Wednesday to a huge welcome, leading to speculation he was putting up a show of strength.
NDTV reported that Singhdeo had reached a point of no return as he was unprepared to work under Baghel any longer, but would not join the BJP.