Rahul Gandhi to visit Chhattisgarh soon ahead of polls, says State Congress chief

Chhattisgarh Congress chief Mohan Markam said on Wednesday that the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will soon be visiting the state and visit the districts of Bastar and Surguja. Markam took part in the Marwahi Assembly segment ahead of the assembly elections of Chhattisgarh in 2023 to form the booth-level committees and strengthen the party. While talking to the media, Chhattisgarh Congress Pradesh Committee president Markam said, "Rahul Gandhi would soon come to the state and he might tour to Bastar and Surguja districts."

Markam also explained his stand on the rift between Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and the Health Minister TS Singh Deo over the chief ministerial post. He told the reporters, “I am neither in the Bhupesh Baghel's camp nor in Deo's camp. I am a member of the organisation and being the head of the organisation, it is my duty to play the role of guardian. Elections keep on happening, chief ministers will come and go. I am working as a chief of an organisation." Markam said that the high command of the party will make a decision regarding the face of the party for the upcoming elections and he said he hopes that the public dispute between the two highly respected members soon come to an end.

The political dispute in Chhattisgarh

TS Singh Deo hoped that the Congress leadership honour an unofficial agreement to push Bhupesh Baghel out of power and hand Singh the position of the chief minister. When the Congress party won the 2018 Chhattisgarh assembly elections, it was understood that there would be a rotation of candidates for the CM’s chair and that the next CM would be Singh Deo. Baghel’s camp remains adamant on continuing in the office and claim that the CM has the support of the legislators. Congress officials in the state have denied that there would be a change in the cabinet set up before the elections. Earlier in August, Baghel reached Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi along with several of his MLAs and last week, TS Singh visited Delhi to meet the Congress Chief. Due to the lack of clarity, Rahul Gandhi will visit the state himself to clear the air.

(With ANI inputs)