Congress to change Chhattisgarh CM as per 'formula'? Baghel waits for high command's order

Responding to speculation in a section of the media that the Congress in Chhattisgarh had a two-and-half-year chief ministership term formula, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said he would tender his resignation the moment the party high command asks for it. Incidentally, Baghel completes two-and-half years as CM next week.

When Baghel became CM in December, 2018 pipping some others to the post, there was buzz in the media at the time that consensus was brought about by the party based on the sharing of tenure formula.  "I am telling you right now that if I get an order from the party high command, I will immediately step down. I had taken charge on the direction of the high command and I will leave if the party leadership asks for my resignation," Baghel told reporters on being queried about the "formula".

In 2018,  there were four contenders for the top post in Chhattisgarh — T S Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Bhupesh Baghel and Charan Das Mahant, and Rahul Gandhi in legislative party meeting chose Baghel. However, TS Singh Deo had massive support within the party and sources at that time suggested that party ahs agreed upon a rotational chief minister arrangement between Baghel and Singhdeo. 

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Congress infighting

This comes days after reports suggested that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is set to resign from the past of UPA chairperson. Amid poll debacle and leadership crisis in Congress, many leaders have spoken openly against the high-command, though no one has criticised the Gandhis openly. Earlier, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, and 21 senior Congress leaders wrote to Sonia Gandhi expressing dissatisfaction with the party's leadership. Sonia quashed the rebellion by forming a committee and stating that AICC election will decide the next president of the party. After Bihar poll loss, Sibal, P Chidambaram and others again alshed out at the leadership and said that introspection and action is required.

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However, some leaders sided with Gandhis, for instance Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot publicly slammed Kapil Sibal's criticism of the party. According to Gehlot, Sibal talking about Congress' internal issues in the media had "hurt the sentiments of party workers". Moreover, in a stinging attack, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that those speaking against the party are free to join another party and Salman Khurshid urged the internal critics to look within themselves for flaws and contended that they should be prepared for a long struggle rather than look for short cuts to regain power, or to air their grievances in public. 

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