As the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress Government in Chhattisgarh approaches the halfway point of its term on June 17, talk of a ‘2.5 years formula’ – another chief minister taking over for the remainder of the government’s term – has resurfaced.
However, Ravindra Choubey, a senior minister in Baghel’s cabinet, denied the rumors, stating that no such formula exists and that there is no debate or likelihood of any changes at the top. He said Baghel was the face of the Chhattisgarh Congress and that the party will rule the state for the next 20 years.
Choubey is a senior minister, and his expertise and assertions must be true, according to Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo, who has always been projected as the chief minister for the second part of the government’s mandate. Deo went on to say that he has no sense of any imminent changes.
However, as Congress Government enters the second half of its term this month, predictions abound that, if not at the chief ministerial level, some changes in the cabinet or government-level political appointments will be made.
The BJP took a dig at the ruling Congress, with former minister and BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar reacting on Twitter to Choubey’s statement saying, “The situation in Chhattisgarh will be like Punjab after June 17,” in apparent reference to the power tussle in Punjab. Chandrakar said, “If there is Maharaja in Punjab, there is Maharaja in Chhattisgarh too,” adding “the Maharaja of Chhattisgarh is not inferior to anyone.” Singh Deo comes from a royal family and the comments are presumably aimed at him.
Since Bhupesh Baghel was elected as the state’s chief minister from among four strong contenders following the Congress’ landslide victory in the 2018 assembly elections, there has been discussion of a “2.5-year formula” in Chhattisgarh’s power corridors.
Singh Deo (home minister), Tamradhwaj Sahu (assembly speaker), and Charandas Mahant were the other candidates for the position. According to reports, Singh Deo was the preferred candidate of the majority of MLAs when the Congress observer requested their input on the matter prior to the formation of the government.
Rahul Gandhi, the then-Congress president, had summoned all four for a meeting, and Baghel was ultimately picked. Since then, there have been rumours that a formula was devised to divide the chief ministerial tenure between Baghel and Singh Deo in order to keep everyone pleased.
However, no top leaders have ever made any remarks indicating that a change of guard is forthcoming, thus this has remained pure conjecture. P.L. Punia, the Congress’s Chhattisgarh in-charge, has consistently rejected any such possibility, although the buzz has been heard in state politics on several occasions.
