His party having won a three-fourth majority, Bhupesh Baghel had embarked on his maiden journey as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh in 2018 on a high note, but deep down there was an element of anxiety and uncertainty. There was this constant talk about an unwritten two-and-a-half year power-sharing formula. And then came the Covid disruption. But in the past nearly five years, Baghel has managed to overcome all those hurdles, exhibited sharp political acumen and impressive administrative skills, which has helped him rapidly consolidate his position as the Chief Minister and emerge as the face of the Congress in Chhattisgarh. Although he belongs to a small club of Congress Chief Ministers, he is now the most influential and resourceful of them all. With Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh just three months away, the 61-year-old first-time Chief Minister is gearing up to face the biggest test of his political career. Baghel will be the guest at the Express Adda on Thursday looking back at his eventful tenure — the highs and lows, his government’s achievements and perhaps missed targets — and the challenges that lie ahead. And among the challenges are the fast-paced investigation by the Enforcement Directorate into different cases in Chhattisgarh pertaining to an alleged coal scam, liquor scam, irregularities in the District Mineral Foundation fund and an online betting application. On Thursday, the ED conducted searches at the premises of Baghel's political advisor Vinod Verma and two Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) in Raipur and Durg districts. Known to be a leader who does not hesitate to speak his mind, Baghel has managed to bring down Maoist violence to a large extent while rolling out a slew of welfare/populist schemes — among them the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, Shri Dhanvantri Generic Medical Store Yojana, Narva Garva Ghurwa Bari Yojana and Mukhyamantri Haat Bazaar Clinic Yojana. He has also launched a chain of English-medium schools. Hindu symbolism and Chhattisgarh pride, too, are key elements in the Chief Minister's bouquet of schemes. Baghel does not shy away from engaging with political Hinduism. Developing a tourism circuit — 'Ram, Van Gaman Paryatan Paripath — along the route that Lord Ram is believed to have traversed in Chhattisgarh during exile, schemes such as Manas Mandali Protsahan Yojana, decision to erect eight statues of Lord Ram across the state and Godhan Nyay Yojana are all part of Baghel's calibrated strategy in that direction. In the Congress, too, Baghel’s stature has increased. The party turned to him to oversee the election campaign in Assam and Himachal Pradesh. Working closely with AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he tasted success in Himachal Pradesh. The biggest test, however, lies ahead as the BJP is expected to aggressively target the government on the issue of corruption. At the Express Adda, Baghel will be in conversation with Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, The Indian Express, and Manoj C G, Chief of National Political Bureau, The Indian Express. The Express Adda is a series of informal interactions organised by The Indian Express Group and features those at the centre of change. Previous guests at the Adda include External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Housing and Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and motivational strategist Gaur Gopal Das.
