Bhupesh Baghel to be Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 16

Chhattisgarh Congress president Bhupesh Baghel has been chosen the new Chief Minister of the state after six days of back and forth within the party on the issue of leadership.

Baghel, an OBC, had solid support from Congress General Secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh P L Punia. Baghel was chosen by the Congress president despite a pending case of sexual scandal against him in the state. On the eve of Chhattisgarh elections, Baghel even spent jail time in the sex scandal case.

Exact calculations of the Congress behind the decision to pick Baghel are not immediately known except that Punia backed him after all state leaders refused to accept Gandhi’s original choice for the job Tamradhwaj Sahu, AICC OBC cell Chief.

Last afternoon, Gandhi had finalised Sahu’s name but the other three contenders refused to work with him and said they would not join the Cabinet if the decision was formalised.

Fresh talks then started, with UPA chief Sonia Gandhi getting involved. Among outgoing CLP leader TS Singhdeo who had majority MLAs with him; Baghel and ex-Union minister Charandas Mahant, Gandhi opted for Baghel on the advice of Punia.

Baghel will be sworn in as Chief Minister on Monday.

The option of division of CM tenures between Baghel and TS Singhdeo were also discussed but eventually dropped, it is learnt.

AICC in charge for Punjab Asha Kumari, the sister of one of the Chhattisgarh CM hopefuls TS Singhdeo, was the first to congratulate Bhupesh Baghel.

Congratulations & Best Wishes to Shri ji on becoming CM of Chattisgarh.

— Asha Kumari (@AshaKumariINC)