Amid rift in Chhattisgarh Congress, former CongressPresident Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and HealthMinister T.S. Singh Deo.
Baghel and Deo met Rahul Gandhi at his residence here onTuesday.
The meeting of these two leaders with Rahul Gandhi cameamid Deo's reported claims for the top post in the state, demanding rotationalchief ministership.
Both Baghel and Deo met with Rahul Gandhi as theinfighting in Chhatisgarh Congress threatens to boil over.
According to party leaders, the two state leaders willalso meet Chhattisgarh in-charge P.L. Punia and others.
The meeting assumes significance following the exit ofMahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev from the party recently. The Congress hadearlier faced similar situation in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,Karnataka, and some northeastern states.
There were several reports of differences between Bagheland Deo, with the latter lobbying hard for months to replace Chief MinisterBaghel. On July 27, Deo walked out of the Assembly saying, "it is toomuch" after the opposition created an uproar demanding a House panel probeinto Congress MLA Brihaspat Singh's charge that the Minister was behind anattack on him.
Deo and Baghel have been making several trips to thenational capital. Deo, for the record, maintains that "Sonia Gandhiji andRahul Gandhiji will decide." Following his visit, Baghel also rushed tothe national capital in July this year.
During his Delhi visit, Baghel said he would abide by thedecision of the leadership and returned to Raipur in the same plane with Deo.
After the 2018 Assembly elections, names of Baghel, Deo,Charan Das Mahant and Tamradhwaj Sahu were doing the rounds for the post of thechief minister in the state. However, Baghel emerged as the winner after havingseveral meetings with the Congress top leadership.
There also have been reports that Congress had adopted CMpost-sharing formula to accommodate Baghel and Deo. The Congress has completedtwo and half years in the state in June this year.