Chhattisgarh CM to be replaced? Baghel claims he'll step down if Cong high command orders

After meeting Congress' interim president Sonia Gandhi, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday asserted that he will step down from the post if the party asks him to. Addressing the media after the meeting, the CM who has completed over 2.5 years in office, asserted that he was chosen to be the Chief Minister of the state by the top brass and if now, they choose someone else, he will resign from the post. Indirectly confirming the '2.5 years CM' agreement, he said that such agreements were an inevitable part of a coalition government. 

"The high command instructed me to take the oath (as Chief Minister), so I took the oath. When they will say someone else will be the Chief Minister, then it will be so. Such agreements happen in a coalition government, he said. 

He also took the opportunity to underline that he was ready to take up responsibilities for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled to take place in 2022. "If the high command gives me any responsibility for upcoming elections in UP, I will do it." 

Chattisgarh Congress in-charge Punia, meanwhile, told ANI that there is no such formula of changing Chief Ministers after a few years."As Bhupesh Baghel ji also cleared these things, there is no such understanding or any formula. There no point in such a formula as the Congress party has a three-fourth majority in Chhattisgarh. Such an agreement happens in coalition governments. Chhattisgarh is running with a three-fourth majority government," he said.

2.5-2.5 CM tenure agreement 

It is pertinent to mention here that when the Congress Party won the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, there were four contenders for the post of Chief Minister- Bhupesh Baghel, TS Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu, and Charandas Mahant. All four had been called in for a discussion by the then Congress president Rahul Gandhi and finally, Baghel was chosen. There have been speculations since then that formula to divide the chief ministerial tenure between Baghel and Singh Deo was made to keep everyone happy. 

The Congress has, however, time and again refuted the existence of any such formula. Even in 2021, when the Bhupesh Baghel government's tenure was nearing the 2.5 years mark, a senior member of the Chattisgarh unit of Congress while talking to the media had dismissed the speculations saying no such formula exists, and there is no discussion or chance of any changes at the top. He had said the Congress government will complete its five-year tenure under Baghel and added that Baghel was the face of Chhattisgarh Congress and that the Party will be in power in the state for 20 years.