What is brewing between BJP and Chhattishgarh minister TS Singh Deo

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party is seemingly trying to woo Chhattisgarh Minister and senior Congress leader TS Singh Deo and aiming to foment trouble for Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel with just a few months left for Assembly polls in the state.

Sources stated that BJP leaders are in touch with Chhattisgarh Health Minister Singh Deo as they attempt to rock the Congress’ boat just ahead of the crucial Legislative Assembly polls scheduled for later this year.

It is widely known that Singh Deo aspires to the Chief Ministerial position in the state and Baghel has so far been able to deny the post to him by remaining in the good books of the Congress high command. However, with polls just months away, the aspirations are being given air by the saffron party as it attempts to create a rift in the top leadership of the grand old party in Chhattisgarh.  

With the relationship between Baghel and his health minister continuing to remain strained over the past four years on the issue of the Chief Ministerial post, the BJP has smelled an opportunity to regain the tribal state that it lost in 2018.

The move is being made as the BJP feels that under the current circumstances, with polls just months away, the Congress has an edge. This is the reason that the saffron unit is working overtime to ensure disaffection is stoked from within the grand old party, sources said. 

The party feels that if Singh Deo joins the saffron unit or fields rebel candidates strategically, the BJP has a good chance of storming back to power in the Naxal-affected state.

The BJP had suffered a massive loss in Chhattisgarh in the 2018 Assembly polls securing only 14 out of the 90 seats, while the Congress was able to secure 71 seats.  The saffron unit is desperately trying to reverse the loss and secure power in the mineral-rich state in the 2023 Assembly polls.

BJP's top leadership is keenly monitoring political developments in the state as it wants to secure power in the crucial central Indian state.

The party feels that a good performance in the Assembly polls will enthuse its cadre as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third term at the Centre in the 2024 general elections. 

With 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, the party hopes to do well in the 2024 general elections and improve on its 2019 tally of 9 seats in the lower house of Parliament.

Role of Congress high command

The Congress high command has a crucial role to play in the months leading up to the important state Assembly polls. The leadership of the grand old party would need to tread carefully while dealing with both Baghel and Singh Deo.

Any rebellion in the party at this crucial time will end up hurting Congress and helping the saffron unit. The party would need to ensure that Singh Deo is on board for its Assembly polls campaign or it is likely to face rebel candidates on many seats, which can affect its winning prospects in the 90-member state legislature.

Over the past few years, the BJP has been trying to outmanoeuvre the Congress in Chhattisgarh. However, it has not been unable to do so, seemingly due to ineffective leadership within the saffron ranks. Though the party is trying hard to groom OBC leaders Arun Sao (Lok sabha MP from Bilaspur) and Narayan Chandel (MLA from Janjgir Champa) by appointing them as the state unit chief and leader of opposition in the Assembly respectively.

The BJP feels that the state unit is still far from coming out of the shadow of former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh. Party sources stated that in order to successfully take on the Congress strongman and incumbent Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, BJP’s new state leadership needs to take charge.

However, all eyes would be on the Congress leadership in the state as well as its central high command on the way it is able to resolve issues between the top two leaders of Chhattisgarh. Any rebellion will also have a direct impact on the outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha tally of the BJP from the state and the Congress would definitely want to return to winning ways in polls for the lower house as well.