Bhupesh Baghel, Singhdeo to begin touring for 2023 polls, analysts say rift now visible

The two tallest Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh are embarking on a statewide tour, which on the face of it is a stock-taking exercise of government schemes, but the gesture is being seen by party insiders and political experts alike as a pre-season election campaign.

Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and health minister in his cabinet, T S Singhdeo, will start touring the state this month as part of preparations for the 2023 December assembly polls.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and health minister in his cabinet, T S Singhdeo, will start touring the state this month as part of preparations for the 2023 December assembly polls. (HT PHOTO.)

Baghel will start his tour, in which he will visit all 90 assembly constituencies, from Sarguja division on May 4 ---the political territory of Singhdeo, who has been eying the CM’s post ever since the Congress stormed into power in Chhattisgarh with a two-thirds majority in 2018, ending the 15-year rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Shortly after that, party leaders said Singhdeo will embark on a state-wide tour to take stock of the functions of the health department that he heads.

The two tallest Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh are embarking on a statewide tour, which on the face of it is a stock-taking exercise of government schemes, but the gesture is being seen by party insiders and political experts alike as a pre-season election campaign.

“Singhdeo is a big leader in Chhattisgarh and he doesn’t want to lose his political space hence he is touring now. The upcoming elections will impact his politics in the state and for that he has to remain in the center of Chhattisgarh’s politics,” said a senior Congress leader seeking anonymity.

Singhdeo and Baghel were engaged in a power tussle in 2021 as the former claimed that he should be appointed as chief minister as per the power sharing agreement reached in the presence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the party won the 2018 assembly polls.

Political experts believe that Singhdeo is eyeing the next assembly polls as his chance to become the chief minister.

Singhdeo said he will be touring the state to assess the work of the health department on the ground.

“I will start (the tour) around the first week of May. I don’t think there is any political conflict... We have to do our duty. He (Baghel) is touring in his capacity as CM and I will tour in my capacity,” Singhdeo said, claiming that talk of leadership change will do the rounds irrespective of whether he tours or not. “I too have a presence and promises to keep,” Singdeo added.

In the 2018 assembly polls in the state, the Congress won 68 seats of the 90 assembly seats and BJP got 15. The JCC (J) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had bagged 5 and 2 seats respectively. The Congress tally has gone up to 71 with the party winning all by-polls since 2018.

Leaders within the Congress believe that the party has peaked and it will be “difficult” to retain 71 seats in the upcoming assembly election. Party strategists claim that due to Covid-19 restrictions, the party has lost its connect with the people.

“This (the tour) is a course correction exercise started by the CM and will be followed by other leaders of Congress,” said the Congress leader quoted above.

During his tour, Baghel’s strategists said the CM will visit any three villages of each assembly constituency and will inspect civic facilities available there and will also review implementation of government schemes, ongoing government work, and government offices.

“The CM will spend a night in the same constituency and will meet locals,” an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who is coordinating the CM’’s tour said.

The tour will also be an opportunity for the CM to meet Congress workers, whom he was not able to meet for two years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The visits are very important for the Congress party to gauge the ground sentiment and help the party to prepare for polls,” said a strategist who is part of the CM’s team.

Parivesh Mishra, a Raipur based political commentator, said that the tour will help the CM to access the popularity of party MLAs.

“Both the leaders (Baghel and Singhdeo) would like their party to believe they are embarking on a mission to gear up the party machinery for the state elections. The political fallout of their visits could be tricky for them,” he said.

The BJP, however, claimed that the Congress was losing ground.

“In the last three years, nothing has been done by the ruling government. The internal survey of MLAs by the Congress says that most of the legislators are losing and hence the CM himself started this early campaign. Secondly, Singhdeo’s decision to tour independently reflects the infighting and rift within the government,” said Gauri Shankar Srivas, a BJP spokesperson.