Chhattisgarh: Amid Power Tussle With Baghel, TS Singh Deo Says 'Will Accept' Whatever Congress Leadership Decides

The internal power tussle began as the Baghel government completed two-and-a-half years of governance in June. Deo's supporters claim that there was a power-sharing agreement.

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New Delhi: While the turmoil in Chhattisgarh Congress continues, state Health Minister TS Singh Deo on Saturday stated that he will accept the decision taken by the High Command.

The statement is significant considering that Deo has been demanding a change of guard in the state.

While addressing the media, he said, "I met and discussed everything with High Command. Whatever decision will be taken by them, we will accept it. I met Congress General Secretary Organisation, KC Venugopal in Delhi yesterday. I was not present at the meeting of the Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel with Rahul Gandhi", news agency ANI reported.

On Friday, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel held extensive talks with the party high command in Delhi. He also invited Rahul Gandhi to visit the state to see the development done for tribals and farmers. 

"Rahul Gandhi will visit Chhattisgarh next week. They will come here and see the Chhattisgarh model. We will go all over India with the development works that are done here. He will come here and meet all sections of the society," Baghel told media persons as soon as he reached Raipur.

"He will visit Bastar, central and north Chhattisgarh and witness the development works done by us for tribals, farmers, women, the youth and the poor and industries," he said upon arrival after meeting Congress high command in Delhi.

Meeting With Rahul Gandhi & Chhattisgarh Congress Turmoil

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had an over three-hour-long meeting with Rahul Gandhi at the latter's residence in the national capital on Friday.

Baghel earlier in the day also held a series of meetings at Rahul Gandhi’s residence, where party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and party’s in-charge PL Punia were also present.

This was Baghel's second meeting with the former Congress president this week as he had met him earlier on Tuesday amid talks of a possible leadership change in Chhattisgarh.

The internal power tussle began as the Baghel government completed two-and-a-half years of governance in June and supporters of TS Singh Deo raised the issue of rotational chief ministership. While Congress has never talked about the two-and-a-half-year formula in Chhattisgarh, Deo's supporters claim that it was promised.

Congress had won the 2018 assembly election in Chhattisgarh with a thumping majority. The state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel was made the chief minister and TS Singh Deo was the head of the manifesto committee in the election. Supporters of both Baghel and TS have claimed that the party's victory was due to their leaders.

(With Agency Inputs)