Political temperature in Chhattisgarh soars: 27 MLAs huddle in 5-star; may fly to Delhi

Amid the ongoing infighting in the Chhattisgarh unit on the Congress party, Republic Media Network on Thursday was told that 27 MLAs of the state have gathered in a five-star hotel in Raipur. The gathered MLAs are likely to fly to the national capital and meet the top brass of the party, probably in favour of either the Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel, or TS Deo, the Health Minister of the state. In the past month, TS Deo has been putting pressure on the party to make him the Chief Minister in place of Bhupesh Baghel in line with a '2.5-year-formula', which was denied all this time.  

'If a person plays in team, doesn't he think of becoming the captain?': TS Deo

Just a few days back, Bhupesh Baghel had said that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have entrusted him with the responsibility of running the state government and he will quit the moment they ask him to do so. Indirectly targeting TS Deo, the incumbent Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh had added, "Those who are talking about two-and-a-half years, they are trying to bring political instability and they will never succeed," Bhagel had told reporters.

"If a person plays in a team, doesn't he think about becoming the captain? Won't you want to become one?" TS Deo had asked the next day, justifying his claim over the Chief Ministership of Chhattisgarh, following the 2.5-year tenure formula. 

Post the indirect war of words, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi had called both TS Deo and Bhupesh Baghel and had individually held meetings in a bid to bury the hatchets between the two. Rahul Gandhi had also promised the leaders that he would be visiting the state, and looking into the developmental works. However, he never showed up. 

2.5-year-tenure formula

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 TS Deo and Bhupesh Baghel were the two names narrowed down on. 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.