Congress Makes TS Singh Deo Deputy CM to End Chhattisgarh Conflict; Can Same Plan Settle Rajasthan Dust-up?

The Congress has hit upon a formula to control the infighting in its Chhattisgarh unit. TS Singh Deo has been made deputy chief minister just ahead of the state polls in the winter of 2023.

This decision was taken after a two-hour-long meeting of the top Congress leadership: Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Mallikarjun Kharge, Bhupesh Baghel, TS Singh Deo, and state incharge Kumari Selja.

This, the party hopes, will stem the infighting which could have hurt its confidence of winning the polls.

TS Singh Deo has been miffed that he was not made the CM despite an understanding of a rotational system. But in the first two and a half years of Baghel’s term, he consolidated his position and ensured that Deo is kept at bay. This was also the reason why TS Singh Deo, after giving up hope of getting a chance to be the CM, resigned as panchayati raj minister but continued with his health portfolio. This resignation was seen as his hint to the high command that he was miffed. In fact, as the crisis in the Rajasthan unit unfolded, he said he knew how Sachin Pilot felt as his own position was the same.

So why the need to make TS Singh Deo the deputy chief minister? What does this mean?

Deo, or Baba as he is called, is from Ambikapur, which is in the important Surguja belt of the state. Surguja in the north and Bastar in the south are important regions, and this is where the Congress felt it was on shaky ground. It was suggested that the heavyweight partnership between Deo and Baghel which had worked in 2018 was missing and it would hurt the Congress where the BJP was making slow and steady inroads. Hence the placating of TS Singh Deo.

Chief minister Baghel welcomed this with a tweet, “We are ready.” Rahul Gandhi and Kharge made it clear that all differences will have to be dumped and a united face would be needed to win.

The next question: does this mean that Baghel will not automatically be seen as the CM face and will Congress keep the guessing game going?

And more importantly, after solving the Chhattisgarh issue, will Rajasthan too see a similar proposal?