Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on two-day visit to poll-bound Assam

Bhupesh Baghel's meetings in Assam will be his first to review the Congress' poll preparedness for the assembly elections expected a few months later.

Updated on: Jan 18, 2021, 14:20:54 IST

By Ritesh Mishra, Utpal Parashar

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Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel will be on a two-day visit to poll-bound Assam on Monday. This will be Baghel’s first visit to the state after the recent appointment of the Congress leader as a senior observer for the upcoming assembly elections.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel is on his first visit to Assam to oversee Congress' poll preparations after his appointment as one of the three senior observers of the party (ANI)

Baghel is one of three senior observers of Congress party for Assam assembly election slated in next few months. The other two are Mukul Wasnik and Shakeel Ahmad Khan.

“On Monday, the chief minister will meet some of the important leaders of the Congress party and on Tuesday, he will meet the office bearers of the party to boost their morale and also brainstorm on the upcoming campaigning will be done,” said Vikas Upadhyay, secretary Congress and in-charge Upper Assam Units told Hindustan Times.

Baghel will also review the preparations relating to poll preparedness by the party, he added.

The Congress won 26 seats of the 126 assembly seats in the 2016 elections.

The party, however, is down to 20 seats.

Mansing Rongpi, the Congress MLA from Baithalangso, was the first to quit the party months after his election on a Congress ticket. Rongpi had resigned and later won as a BJP candidate from the same seat.

In 2019, its sitting legislator from Jania, Abdul Khaleque, won from the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat. But the Congress could not retain the assembly seat in the by-election. The seat went to the All India United Democratic Front.

The Congress’s strength came down further last year with the death of two MLAs, Pranab Gogoi of Sivasagar and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who represented Titabar seat.

Last month, Ajanta Neog from eastern Assam's Golagha seat and Rajdeep Goala from southern Assam’s Lakhipur, who had been expelled from the Congress for anti-party activities were inducted in the BJP.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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