The promotion of Ambikapur’s Congress MLA TS Singh Deo on the position of Deputy-Chief Minister after a long wait of around four and half years, has created a mixed bag of political reactions in the state, within the party and outside of the party as well in the nation. The opposition is visualizing the move from a perspective that it is an attempt to keep the party unified up to the assembly polls. The objective is apparent to ensure victory of Congress party in coming assembly polls.
As a part of the strategy, TS Singh Deo also visited the CM’s official residence in Raipur on Thursday along with the Chhattisgarh Congress in-Charge Kumari Selja and met the CM Bhupesh Baghel. After the episode, CM also tweeted the photo with his warm wishes.
While speaking to media at Raipur airport on Thursday, TS Baba also defended the party decision and said, when the time ripens, the things automatically happen, rest are assumptions, presumption, hypothesis, speculation etc.
In cricket, hockey or football or any other group sports, there is a captain and to register the victory but Capitan’s alone performance cannot ensure the victory in the game, team performance is also essential, TS Singh Deo said.
Who is TS Singh Deo?
TS Singh Deo is also known as Maharaj Sahab, an heir of Sarguja royal family, he is presently holding four portfolios in Baghel government includes Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Twenty Point Implementation and Commercial Tax (GST) in the state government.
His promotion to Dy-CM of Chhattisgarh, has become a factor of heartburn in opposition parties. Parties like BJP and AAP opened offensive front against this positive development in Congress Party.
The opposition parties tried to present the decision of Congress High Command as lost in leadership of CM Baghel and projected TS Singh Deo as an alternative to the CM’s face in the state.
BJP claims Chhattisgarh used to fund Congress
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya gave his reaction as an attempt to downsize the CM’s Baghel influence and power in the state after the Karnataka election. He also alleged, earlier Chhattisgarh used to fund Congress as the alternate source of funding became available, Congress High Command infringed the powers and rights of the emerging OBC leaders. He further alleged that as the corruption charges against the Baghel government continuously increased, TS Singh Deo's face was highlighted.
Meanwhile, while speaking to PTI, Chhattisgarh AAP in-charge said, "It's a damage control exercise by the Congress high command but it is not going to help the party in the state as Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has caused a lot of losses to the people of the state by looting its resources,".
Dy CM appointment encroaches domain of CM: Chhattisgarh BJP
Chhattisgarh BJP leaders on Thursday said the Congress leadership does not have any authority to make appointment of the Deputy Chief Minister. It has encroached on the domain of the Chief Minister.
BJP State President and MP Arun Sao said there is no provision, where any party can make an appointment to a constitutional position. In a way it has encroached upon the authority of the Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
The question arises is does the Congress leadership have lost faith in the leadership of Bhupesh Baghel or the public has completely lost faith in the government. The appointment is for just for four months, Sao said.
Question marks of TS Singh's 60-day appointment
Former Chief Minister Raman Singh said to the media that it is rattling why TS Singh Deo has been made Deputy Chief Minister for just 60 days and he accepted it. The other remaining 60 days of his tenure, the state would be under model code of conduct due to the general assembly election. It is for the first time the Deputy CM post has been created in Chhattisgarh.
Taking a dig at Congress which had raised the issue of BJP’s face for election, Singh said earlier Congress was firm that it would fight with the face of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. Now, with the appointment, it is a collective mode instead of a face.
He said with the appointment, it would give rise to ambition among the Congress top leaders. It is not good for the state. There will be no impact on the state politics.
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