TS Singh Deo appointed Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister

TS Singh Deo was appointed Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Singh Deo’s appointment was announced in a review meeting held to discuss the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections at the Congress headquarters in Delhi. In 2018, when the Congress returned to power in Chhattisgarh after 15 years, a war of supremacy had broken out between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo, over the chief minister’s chair. Later, it was decided that the CM post would be fixed for Baghel for two-and-a-half years and for Deo for the remaining half.

Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections Loom as Power-Sharing Agreement Controversy Persists

However, the formula was not implemented and several attempts were made to corner Deo. Since then, Singh Deo and CM Bhupesh Baghel have been at loggerheads. The 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly poll is scheduled to be held by November this year to elect all 90 members of the state’s Legislative Assembly. The TS Singh Deo camp insists there was a rotational power-sharing agreement, which the party has not honoured. There have also been allegations that the Chief Minister’s supporters have tried to undermine Mr Singh Deo.

The Battle for Power: Singh Deo and Baghel’s Rivalry in Chhattisgarh

Singh Deo has had a fractious relationship with Baghel, with both vying for the top post when the Congress swept to power in Chhattisgarh in 2018, by dislodging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after winning 68 of 90 seats. Baghel, who was then state party president, and Singh Deo, then leader of the party in the state legislature, spent several days in Delhi, attempting to thrash out a solution. Those close to Singh Deo argued that a two-and-a-half year rotational system, where he would take over for the second half of the tenure, was thrashed out. The Baghel camp has always denied this. The matter led to friction between the two leaders, prompting the party high command to intervene in September 2021 when several MLAs arrived in Delhi, showing their allegiance to Baghel. As rumours of a change in guard swirled, Singh Deo resigned from one of  his portfolios of rural development in July 2022.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

• Chhattisgarh Capital: Raipur (Executive Branch);
• ChhattisgarhGovernor: Biswabhusan Harichandan;
• ChhattisgarhChief minister: Bhupesh Baghel.

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