Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday left for Delhi, for the second time this week, to meet the party's central leadership amid escalating tussle between him and state Health Minister T S Singh Deo and talks of change in leadership in the state.
Sources in the Chhattisgarh Congress told PTI that several party MLAs and ministers, who are close to Baghel, already reached Delhi on Thursday, while many legislators, ministers and senior leaders went to the national capital this morning.
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel is likely to meet Rahul Gandhi at 4 pm today, reported news agency ANI.
Bhupesh Baghel said before departing for Delhi, "I received a message from KC Venugopal that I have to meet Rahul Ji in Delhi today, so I am going there to meet party high command."
When asked that several Congress MLAs and ministers also gone to Delhi, he said, "I have been called to Delhi that's why I am going...Why can't people meet their leader? Some people have gone without invitation."
However, Baghel did not respond to Singh Deo's remark made in Delhi that, "If a person plays in a team then doesn't he think about becoming the captain?" State Agriculture Minister Ravindra Chaubey and Forest and Climate Change Minister Mohammad Akbar, were also seen entering the airport before Baghel.
Ahead of the meet, the crisis in the state has deepened with about 30 MLAs reaching Delhi, and more are expected on Friday. The MLAs have met P.L. Punia, the Congress state in-charge on Thursday night.
While T.S. Singh Deo on Thursday categorically said that he will take any responsibility given to him by the party high command, he also said that everyone is an aspirant for the top post in the state.
Earlier on Tuesday, Baghel and state Health Minister TS Singh Deo met party leadership including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and party's Chhattisgarh in-charge PL Punia in the national capital.
Punia had earlier said, "CM Bhupesh Baghel had asked for time to meet Rahul Gandhi. He will be meeting him on Friday. No other MLA has been called to Delhi by the high command or any other person. Such information circulating is misleading." Baghel on Wednesday had said that he would step down from his post when party interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi asked him to do so.
"I will step down when Sonia and Rahul Ji order me. Those talking about 2.5 years plan are trying to bring political instability but will never succeed," he told reporters when he arrived in Raipur after his visit to Delhi on Wednesday.
After the Baghel government completed two-and-a-half years in office in June the supporters of TS Singh Deo raised the issue of rotational chief ministership. Though Congress never talked about the two-and-a-half-year formula in Chhattisgarh, the supporters of Deo claim that this was promised.
Congress won the assembly polls held in December 2018 with a thumping majority. Then, the state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel was made the chief minister. TS Singh Deo was the head of the manifesto committee in the election. Supporters of both Baghel and TS have claimed that the party's victory was due to their leaders.
(With inputs from ANI)
