CMs change mid-term, it’s AICC call in Raipur: TS Singh Deo

Chhattisgarh’s Congress minister TS Singh Deo has said Congress has a history of changing CMs mid-way or continuing with them for 10-15 years and it was for the party’s central leadership to decide whether there should be change of the CM in Chhattisgarh.
Singh’s comments came after CM Bhupesh Baghel recently tried to end the buzz about a commitment the party leadership gave on rotational chief ministership. Baghel had said such arrangements were “features of coalition government”. After the Baghel government completed half its term, there has been a growing buzz about Rahul Gandhi’s post-poll ‘commitment’ in December 2018 for alternating the CM post between Baghel and Deo, with half a term each. None of the stakeholders have emphatically denied the buzz.

When ET asked Deo about it, he said: “I can’t comment on the constant media buzz, since the formation of our government in Chhattisgarh, about a commitment on rotational chief ministership. Nor can I disclose what all were discussed internally by the Congress leadership prior to the formation of our government. I can’t speculate what will happen either. It is the domain of the high command. As far as I am concerned, I am focusing on my job as a minister.” Deo said he was in Delhi on a personal visit but Congress circles were abuzz about him taking up the issue with the AICC leadership.

Unlike Baghel, his colleague Deo didn’t limit the rotational CM arrangement as a feature of coalition governments. “There are many instances when Congress CMs were changed before they completed their terms or continued for 10 or even 15 years. In Uttarakhand, we had more than one Congress CM last time (Vijay Bahuguna and Harish Rawat). Similarly, once Arjun Singh Ji was CM for just two days (when he was made governor of Punjab in 1985). Similar things have also happened with governments of other parties too. Right now, the BJP has a third CM in Uttarakhand and the second CM in Karnataka. But we also have Mamata Banerjee into her third term as CM. So, these things happen,” Deo said.

When asked about Baghel terming rotational chief ministership as a feature of coalition governments, Deo said: “Different batsmen have different ways of dealing with the bowling. Sehwag had his way of hitting the ball, just as Tendulkar or Srikkanth had their own styles and shots. Similarly, politicians too have different ways of dealing with the bowling.”

About him recently walking out of the assembly, demanding that the state government clear the air on a Congress MLA’s allegation that he masterminded the attack on the MLA through some relatives, he said: “Yes, I did walk out. Since then the state government has taken cognisance of the matter and the concerned MLA has been served a notice by the state Congress. For me, the matter rests there. It is now for the party leadership to deal with it.”