Saturday, October 12, 2024
HomePoliticsCongress govt in Chhattisgarh appears safe with 3/4th majority, but is it really safe?...

Congress govt in Chhattisgarh appears safe with 3/4th majority, but is it really safe? MP-Rajasthan like trouble can brew

Remember the series of Rahul Gandhi's pics with Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia and then Gehlot and Sachin Pilot soon after election results? The next in the series was his picture with Chhattisgarh leaders. Who knows that photograph series was jinxed?

If there is one state that Congress can claim to have stable government in the country, it is Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel Government with 69 seats. But some recent events in Chhattisgarh and also what has been happening recently in Rajasthan and MP has rung alarm bells in the Congress high command who rushed Digvijay Singh on a swift tour to Raipur. 

Speculations were rife from a long time about sulking of TS Singh Deo, the second-in-command of Congress in Chhattisgarh. It is widely believed that Singh Deo had been promised the CM post under 2.5 years formula of Rahul Gandhi for the second half of Congress term in the state. But after the debacle of 2019 elections and ‘symbolic’ stepping down of Rahul Gandhi, the Baghel – Singh Deo rift has been growing apart. 

In March, the Chief Minister had a meeting on coronavirus pandemic at his residence but TS Singh Deo, who also happens to be the Health Minister was not invited. This was followed by almost competing corona measures between the both. Singh Deo had been sidelined from various projects of which one of the most prominent is the Godhan Yojna where Govt intends to buy cow dung from people and sell back to them as organic manure.

In a separate incident, he expressed anger over alleged lacklustre police handling of an attempted suicide case. Moreover, shock waves were sent when he offered to resign if electoral promises made by his Govt are not fulfilled before the next crop is due. Few days back, he tweeted his displeasure at the pain of the unemployed.

There are other factions too which seem dissatisfied with Bhupesh Baghel Government. Speaker Charandas Mahant is unhappy being ignored and state PCC chief Mohan Markam is openly whining to reporters for removal of bureaucrats of his own government. Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu has no say in most matters. The MLAs are complaining about implementation of flagship schemes or roads. In a healthy democracy, there is always room for feedback and criticism but when in happens openly in public with far greater frequency, then the seriousness of dissent should be considered. 

Perhaps to avoid a possible MP-Rajasthan – like situation, Congress has offered to dangle some carrots in the form of posts of 15 Parliamentary Secretary and 32 posts in state-run Boards and Corporations. While this appears to be an appeasement move, BJP has vehemently expressed its opposition and called the move unconstitutional.

Yet the dissatisfaction continues. The disconnect from Delhi does not help. So, when Digvijay Singh had separate meetings with Bhupesh Baghel, TS Singh Deo and Charandas Mahant, it raised eyebrows. Interestingly, Digvijay Singh also had meeting Amit Jogi, son of late Ajit Jogi who had formed a new party JCP, giving ripples to rumours about possible amalgamation of Jogi Congress into its original party. But when you have the problem of plenty, should you really add more power centres?

In spite of running only a few states, the Congress is digging wells for water only when fire is imminent. The central leadership is absent and the state leaders are left to fend for themselves with high level of disconnect with the Central leadership.

Remember the famous series of photographs of Rahul Gandhi with Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia and then Gehlot and Sachin Pilot when he seemed to resolve CM question in MP and Rajasthan soon after election results? The next in the series was his picture with Chhattisgarh leaders.

After 2018 state elections, similar pictures of Rahul Gandhi had appeared with Kamal Nath & Jyotiraditya Scindia and Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot

Who knows that photograph series was jinxed?

Join OpIndia's official WhatsApp channel

  Support Us  

Whether NDTV or 'The Wire', they never have to worry about funds. In name of saving democracy, they get money from various sources. We need your support to fight them. Please contribute whatever you can afford

Anand Walunjkar
Anand Walunjkar
After taking the CAT exam 3 times without success, Anand turned on the IT industry and now resides in Toronto. His aim is to write a 300 page novel, but for now he just about manages to churn out 3 page articles

Related Articles

Trending now

Recently Popular

- Advertisement -