RAIPUR: Senior minister T S Singhdeo triggered a storm in the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh by "relinquishing" his panchayat and rural development portfolio on Saturday evening. In a four-page letter to chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, he said that he was dismayed to see that the draft he had sent for implementation of PESA Act had been changed without his knowledge.
It looks like round-2 of the power struggle in the ruling Congress has erupted less than one and a half years ahead of the assembly election. “The way things are happening, this was bound to happen,” Singhdeo told a section of media.
In his letter, he points out that the Congress election manifesto had promised to implement PESA in its true spirit. “The department forwarded the draft to the cabinet committee. But crucial points pertaining to Jal, Jungle, Jameen were found to be changed in the precis for the cabinet. Perhaps, such a thing happened for the first time. Not taking the minister concerned into confidence in such matters sets a wrong precedent. I have written a separate letter to you in this regard,” Singhdeo has written to the CM.
Singhdeo will continue to hold the portfolios of health, medical education, commercial taxes (GST) and 20-point programme implementation, sources close to him confirmed. The Congress veteran is in his hometown of Ambikapur in Surguja, from where he sent the letter to Baghel.
There are indications that he has informed the party’s top leadership about his decision to give up the key portfolio, which he held since December 2018 when Congress stormed to power. Singhdeo was in the running for the CM post, which eventually went to Baghel.
Neither CM Baghel nor AICC general secretary P L Punia, who is in charge of Chhattisgarh, had reacted to the development at the time this report was filed. It is not known if the party will accept his decision to give up this portfolio.
Singhdeo is said to be peeved over the “continuous interference” in key decisions of his department from certain quarters. But the hushed whispers in party circles say he may be trying to judge the reaction of the other faction in the state and the party high command in the light of last year’s power struggle.
Almost exactly a year ago, in August 2021, a tug of war broke out between Baghel and Singhdeo over a purported agreement for mid-term change in guard. At that time, there was intense speculation that Singhdeo was pressing for rotational chief ministership after completion of two and a half years.
Legislators supporting Baghel flew to Delhi by the planeload, twice. Congress was already battling a turmoil in Punjab when this second front erupted. There were hectic parleys between CM Baghel, Singhdeo and senior leaders in the Congress high command. After several rounds of discussion, Baghel told the media that Rahul Gandhi would visit Chhattisgarh soon, while Singhdeo maintained that the party high command had ‘reserved’ its decision.
