Chhattisgarh Congress President Bhupesh Baghel has been appointed the Chief Minister of the state after party MLAs on Sunday elected him the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader. The development came five days after the Congress stormed to power in the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly, winning 68 seats and ending 15 years of BJP rule in the state.
According to sources, Baghel’s swearing-in ceremony will be held on Monday. Sources have also indicated that unlike Rajasthan, there will be no deputy chief minister in Chhattisgarh.
The Congress party announced the decision on its official Twitter handle. "Celebrations are in order in Chhattisgarh as @Bhupesh_Baghel is appointed CM. We wish him the best as he forms a govt. of equality, transparency & integrity starting off with farm loan waiver for farmers as we promised," the Congress tweeted on Sunday.
Celebrations are in order in Chhattisgarh as @Bhupesh_Baghel is appointed CM. We wish him the best as he forms a govt. of equality, transparency & integrity starting off with farm loan waiver for farmers as we promised. pic.twitter.com/7OqGcPi2eh
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 16, 2018
Bhupesh Baghel has been credited with playing a crucial role in a landslide victory of the Congress in Chhattisgarh.
The decision to appoint Baghel as CM comes after hectic parleys between Congress President Rahul Gandhi and four contenders in the race for the CM post – TS Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu and Charan Das Mahant. Congress' central observer Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress in-charge for party affairs in Chhattisgarh PL Punia were also present at the meeting held at 12 pm on Sunday.
Representing Patan Assembly constituency in Durg district, Baghel is the President of Chhattisgarh Congress since October 2014.
On Saturday, as meetings were held to decide the Chief Minister, Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted a picture of himself flanked by all the four claimants to the post, hinting at the end of the tussle over who would be the next Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.
Posting pictures of Baghel, Deo, Sahu and Mahant, Rahul Gandhi quoted American internet entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, saying: "No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you're playing a solo game, you'll always lose out to a team."
No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 15, 2018
– Reid Hoffman pic.twitter.com/TL5rPwiCDX
Bhupesh Baghel will replace succeed Raman Singh as the Chief Minister. The latter was the CM of the state for the past 15 years.