Truce ahead of polls: Congress makes TS Singh Deo Chhattisgarh Deputy CM

The decision was taken at a meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had with senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Baghel, Singhdeo, AICC general secretary in charge of organisation K C Venugopal and AICC state in-charge Kumari Selja at his residence in Delhi.

Written by: Manoj C.G, Jayprakash S Naidu

5 min readNew Delhi, RaipurUpdated: Jun 29, 2023 07:43 AM IST

Congress leader TS Singh Deo. (File)

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Truce ahead of polls: Congress makes TS Singh Deo Chhattisgarh Deputy CM

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With just months to go for Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, the Congress on Wednesday appointed senior leader T S Singhdeo as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Singh, who was a claimant for the top post in 2018, had been at loggerheads with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for long.

The decision was taken at a meeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had with senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Baghel, Singhdeo, AICC general secretary in charge of organisation K C Venugopal and AICC state in-charge Kumari Selja at his residence in Delhi.

The meeting came hours after the high command sat with the leadership of the state to brainstorm for the Assembly elections due in November-December.

“Elections are coming. We need to do some balancing. Singhdeo, after all, is a leader of stature,” a senior leader told The Indian Express.

(From left) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo. (File)

Asked whether Singhdeo, 70, was happy, the leader said, “I hope he is satisfied… we hope it will send a good message in the state. Remember, we fought the elections in 2018 under a collective leadership. While Baghel was the PCC president, Singhdeo was the CLP leader…we thought we needed to balance a bit. Both Baghel and Singhdeo were agreeable to it.”

Referring to Singhdeo, Venugopal said in a Twitter post: “He is a loyal Congress leader and an able administrator. The state will benefit greatly from his services as Deputy CM. We are confident that the people of Chattisgarh will re-elect the Congress with a thumping majority under the leadership of Kharge ji and Rahul Gandhi ji.”

Incidentally, there was no mention of Baghel’s leadership.

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Baghel and Singhdeo had been at loggerheads for long – the tussle between them centering around an unwritten formula of rotational chief ministership, which was reportedly agreed upon between the two in December 2018 when the party came to power in the state. Baghel has always denied the existence of a power sharing pact.

INC President Sh. Mallikarjun @kharge ji has approved the proposal for appointment of Sh. TS Singh Deo @TS_SinghDeo ji as the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.

He is a loyal Congress leader and an able administrator. The state will benefit greatly from his services as…

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) June 28, 2023

The feud had come to a head in July last year when Singhdeo relinquished the charge of the crucial Panchayat and Rural Development portfolios, citing among other reasons the non-sanction of funds under the PM Awas Yojana.

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The move to make Singhdeo the Deputy Chief Minister is an acceptance by the party high command that the Congress cannot go into elections with one of its senior leaders unhappy. “As Deputy Chief Minister, he will now have much more say in the design and execution of the campaign besides selection of candidates. Although late, it is an acceptance of his stature. Baghel, too, is not unhappy,” a leader said.

The party, the leader said, will go into elections under the Chief Minister’s leadership. “In states where we are in power, it is a normal practice to go into elections under the Chief Minister’s leadership. If the party returns to power, the new Chief Minister will be appointed by the high command after taking the views of the newly elected MLAs,” the leader said, signaling that the party will take a fresh call on the Chief Minister in the event of it retaining power.

Earlier in the day, the brainstorming session the Congress high command had with the state leadership saw some leaders expressing concerns over gaps between government and organisation and flagging what they called “dominance” by the bureaucracy in some districts.

Baghel, state Congress president Mohan Markam and Singhdeo were present in the meeting chaired by Kharge and attended by Rahul Gandhi, Venugopal and Selja. The meeting, which was aimed at ensuring coordination between all leaders and making the organisation battle ready ahead of the Assembly elections, did not see any discordant notes coming to the fore. Leaders spoke freely and some pointed out that there were gaps between the government and the organisation.

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Some leaders said the bureaucracy needs to be reined in some districts. They felt the party should devise specific strategies to reach out to various caste groups and counter the BJP’s “divisive politics”.

After the meeting, Singhdeo said the party surveys are showing positive results. Asked whether there was any possibility of a change of guard, he said: “There is no question of changing the CM just now.”

This meeting was also attended by Sunil Kanugolu, who was one of the election strategists in Karnataka, signaling that the AICC is keen that he plays a role in Chhattisgarh. The leadership also told the leaders to work unitedly, shedding factionalism.

Manoj C.G

Manoj C G currently serves as the Chief of National Political Bureau at The Indian Express. A veteran journalist with a career spanning nearly two decades, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the publication's coverage of India's political landscape. Experience & Career: Manoj has built a robust career in political journalism, marked by a transition from wire service reporting to in-depth newspaper analysis. The Indian Express (2008 – Present): He joined the organization in 2008 and has risen to lead the National Political Bureau, overseeing key political coverage. Press Trust of India (PTI): Prior to his tenure at The Indian Express, Manoj worked with India’s premier news agency, PTI, honing his skills in breaking news and accurate reporting. Expertise & Focus Areas: As a seasoned political observer, Manoj focuses on the nuances of governance and party dynamics. National Politics: extensive reporting on the central government, parliamentary affairs, and national elections. Political Strategy: Deep analysis of party structures, coalition politics, and the shifting ideologies within the Indian political spectrum. Bureau Leadership: directing a team of reporters to cover the most critical developments in the nation's capital. Authoritativeness & Trust: Manoj’s authoritativeness is grounded in his nearly 20 years of field experience and his leadership role at a legacy newspaper. His long-standing association with The Indian Express underscores a reputation for consistency, editorial integrity, and rigorous reporting standards required of a Bureau Chief. Find all stories by Manoj C G here. ... Read More

Jayprakash S Naidu

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More