Baghel back in Delhi for more meetings amid signs of possible change in guard

State minister TS Singh Deo on Thursday fuelled the speculation about the change saying anyone who plays in a team “wants to be the captain” even as at least 20 legislators backing Baghel flew to New Delhi late on Thursday in a show of defiance

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel flew to Delhi for another set of meetings with Congress’s central leadership on Friday amid growing signs of a possible change in guard in the state. State minister TS Singh Deo on Thursday fuelled the speculation about the change saying anyone who plays in a team “wants to be the captain” even as at least 20 legislators backing Baghel flew to New Delhi late on Thursday in a show of defiance.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. (File photo)

Baghel and Deo met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, PL Punia, the in-charge of Chhattisgarh, and general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal on Tuesday to thrash out a solution to the impasse in the state. The impasse has been caused by a power-sharing agreement put in place when Congress formed the government in the state in December 2018.

Baghel said Venugopal sent him a message on Thursday that the former has to meet Rahul Gandhi. “As per his direction, I am going there and I do not have more information,” Baghel told reporters before flying to Delhi. “Why cannot they go to meet their leaders. I got a call therefore I am going, and they were going uninvited. Due to the pandemic, nobody could have visited Delhi for a long time and now they have gone to meet leaders,” he said when asked about lawmakers and ministers camping in New Delhi. Baghel refused to comment on Deo’s captain remarks.

State ministers Ravindra Chaubey and Mohammad Akbar were also seen entering the Raipur airport before Baghel flew to Delhi. Over 40 lawmakers are believed to be camping in New Delhi to meet the top Congress leaders.

Deo on Thursday stopped short of referring to any power-sharing deal, saying that the party has never publicly spoken about this. He added there is rivalry even among siblings, and that he would “carry out the responsibility that has been given to him”.

In December 2018, when Congress returned to power in the state with 68 of 90 seats in the assembly, Baghel, state minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, speaker Charan Das Mahant and Deo were seen as the contenders to the chief ministerial post.

Baghel has since Tuesday met at least a dozen legislators and other functionaries close to him. He said on Tuesday that “those propagating the two-and-a-half-year power-sharing formula were trying to bring political instability and would never succeed.”