Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel meets Rahul Gandhi; discusses cabinet reshuffle, UP polls

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday, December 21, held a discussion with former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in connection with the preparations for the upcoming 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections, sources said. As a senior observer of the party for the Uttar Pradesh polls, Baghel discussed the party's roadmap in gearing up for the elections. The involvement of Chhattisgarh Congress leaders in the election preparations was also considered.

Most importantly, the cabinet reshuffle in Chhattisgarh was also on the table of discussion, according to sources close to CM Baghel. As per the sources, Chhattisgarh's Chief Minister is willing to give a chance to some fresh faces in the Cabinet.

After Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh is next?

After a cabinet reshuffle in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Punjab, people wonder if the same will be worked out in Chhattisgarh soon. In June as the Congress-led government completed half its tenure, the '2.5 years formula' speculation emerged stating that CM Baghel would be replaced for the rest of the government's tenure. This eventually did not occur. Even after several visits to the national capital during the past few months, no differences were made.

On November 12, CM Bhupesh Baghel met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on the same day when party leader Sachin Pilot was summoned to meet Gandhi and discuss the ‘cabinet reshuffle’.

Reacting to reports on an expected cabinet reshuffle in Chhattisgarh, Congress media coordinator Sushil Anand Shukla had stated that Chhattisgarh is different from states including Punjab and Rajasthan, as the state government is formed with a 3/4th majority in the Assembly. 

Uttar Pradesh polls

Uttar Pradesh is all set for the upcoming 2022 Assembly elections. By winning 312 Assembly seats, BJP won the 2017 assembly elections. For 403-member Assembly elections, BJP secured a 39.67% vote share. Congress secured only seven seats while Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP won 47 seats and 19 seats respectively.

Most of the political leaders believe that CM Baghel is the face of backward classes as he is being pushed as an OBC poser boy ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Reports suggested that the party high command has asked the state's warring factions to put all the grievances to rest until the 2022 UP polls are over. 

(With PTI inputs)

Image: Twitter/@BhupeshBhagel, PTI