Arjun targets Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh was never too far from Madhya Pradesh8217;s Vindhya region. But it has taken Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh over a decade to t...

Chhattisgarh was never too far from Madhya Pradesh8217;s Vindhya region. But it has taken Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh over a decade to trace his political roots in the area where he had once banked heavily as MP chief minister, and even later.

More than a year after the Congress lost power in Chhattisgarh, Arjun Singh has unexpectedly started showing interest in the state8217;s affairs and has also proposed a two-day trip to the state, triggering off anxiety among the local leaders about the veteran leader8217;s real political agenda.

PCC working-president Charan Dass Mahant has taken the command in his hand to ensure that the Minister gets a feel of his foothold in the region, despite his long absence or virtual isolation from here.

Besides the address at the convocation of the Ghasi Dass University at Bilaspur, preparations are being made for Singh8217;s meeting with the Congress workers. 8216;8216;We have invited all district office-bearers, heads of the frontal organisations and PCC members for the meeting at the party office,8217;8217; said Abdul Hamid Hayyat, a district leader.

As Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Singh used to call shots in the Chhattisgarh region to tackle his known political rivals 8212; the Shukla brothers. But gradually, Digvijay Singh, though a protege of Singh, dented his mentor8217;s influence. And, after Ajit Jogi was sent as the state8217;s first CM, Singh found himself completely out of place in Chhattisgarh politics.

But the Singh lobby has suddenly become active to revive lost grounds in the region. Party insiders say Mahant is a serious contender for the PCC chief post to replace Vora, who is more keen to stay put in the AICC or join the Central ministry. Mahant has been Singh8217;s trusted loyalist for years and was the chief ministerial nominee before Jogi8217;s name cropped-up from 10, Janpath.

And even as the camps have locked horns over who is actually responsible for the party8217;s dwindling graph in the state, the Arjun Singh factor in Chhattisgarh now adds a serious dimension to the faction-ridden party.

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The Jogi camp, which includes at least 29 MLAs and two Rajya Sabha members, has been pressing for replacing PCC president Motilal Vora, working president Mahant and Congress Legislature Party leader Mohinder Karma. Thus, Mahant now banks heavily on Singh8217;s support in Chhattisgarh, and Delhi, to keep Jogi at bay.