Denied entry to Lucknow, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel to visit camped MLAs in Delhi

After being denied entry to Lakhimpur, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel is set visit Delhi on Monday, reported sources. Baghel is likely to meet his supporting MLAs who are camped in Delhi. Baghel was scheduled to visit Lucknow but was not allowed to land at the airport by UP government. Baghel has been made Congress' UP observer ahead of polls and amid rumours of change in Chhattisgarh CM.

Baghel to be meet camped MLAs in Delhi

On Sunday, Baghel was named All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer for Uttar Pradesh, amid his camp's show of strength in Delhi. When reporters asked about change in Chhatisgarh CM, he said, "Where do you get such news from? There's no such thing as is being continuously reported." 23 Chhattisgarh MLAs are currently in Delhi to support incumbent CM Bhupesh Baghel against Health minister TS Singh Deo's bid to pique him. Several MLAs from Deo's camp are also in Delhi seeking change in chief ministership.

As per sources, the Congress High Command has decided to change the Chhattisgarh CM - thus keeping in tune with its 2.5-year  sharing pact. Sources state that the change will happen during the upcoming Navratri festival. While Baghel has claimed Piyanka Gandhi's support, his rival Deo has claimed Rahul Gandhi's support.

23 MLAs namely - Shishupal Shorey, Kismat Lal, Uttri Jangde, Santram Netam, KK Dhruv, Ramkumar Yadav, Anita Sharma, Ramjan Bejam, Lalji Rathiya, Kunwar Singh Nishad, Laxmi Dhruv, Vinay Bhagat, Kuldeep Juneja, Chakradhar Nishad, Sangeeta Sinha, Manoj Mandavi, Mamta Chandrakar, other MLAs are in Delhi to support Bhupesh Baghel. At a late-night meet in Delhi, Baghel camp has strategised to do a display of strength in front of the High Command, as per sources. Congress top brass are currently involved in undoing the political mess in Punjab amid Navjot Sidhu's 'resignation' and ex-CM Capt Amarinder Singh's exit.

The Chhattisgarh crisis

In 2018 when Congress trumped the BJP winning 68 of 90 seats, there were four contenders for the post of Chief Minister- Bhupesh Baghel, TS Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu, and Charandas Mahant. After much brainstorming, Congress narrowed down to TS Deo and Bhupesh Baghel with Rahul Gandhi finally selecting Bhupesh Baghel for the top post. Sources said that Congress had agreed to divide the CM tenure between the two with each ruling 2.5 years. With Baghel now completing two-and-a-half years in his tenure, TS Singh Deo has already told Congress to hand over the top post to him within two months, as per the agreed formula. Ex-party chief Rahul Gandhi is set to undertake a 3-day tour of Bastar and Sarguja and decide on the tiff . While Deo has repeatedly hinted at his wish to be CM, Baghel on the other hand, has said that he would quit his post whenever either Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi tell him to do so.  Chhattisgarh is set to go to polls in 2023.