Congress appoints TS Singh Deo as Chhattisgarh Deputy CM

TS Singh Deo has been appointed as the deputy of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel ahead of the assembly elections. (Picture credit: @bhupeshbaghel)

The Congress party on June 28, appointed TS Singh Deo, the “rival” of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, as his deputy. The appointment proposal of Deo was approved by the party president, Mallikarjun Kharge.

This political move by the Congress high command comes ahead of the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, scheduled to take place in or before December this year.

Deo told news agency ANI that he and Baghel were already working together and now they will continue their collaboration in a different capacity.

He said, “We all need to work together because no one can bear the responsibility alone. The party has a well-established structure, from the block level to the state leadership.”

The announcement was made shortly after Baghel and Deo were in New Delhi to discuss the party’s preparedness and election strategy with top leadership, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party president Rahul Gandhi, general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, and Chhattisgarh in-charge Kumari Selja.

Deo, who also serves as the health minister in the Chhattisgarh government, was one of the frontrunners for the chief ministerial post in the 2018 assembly elections but Baghel was chosen instead.

Following the party’s announcement, Bhupesh Baghel tweeted, “We are ready. Congratulations and best wishes to Maharaj Saheb for his responsibility as Deputy Chief Minister.”

In June 2021, a brief rivalry between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo emerged after Baghel completed two-and-a-half years as Chief Minister.

Deo’s supporters claimed that an understanding was reached in 2018 that Deo would take over as Chief Minister after Baghel completed half of the term.

“INC President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge ji has approved the proposal for the appointment of Sh. TS Singh Deo ji as the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. He is a loyal Congress leader and an able administrator. The state will greatly benefit from his services as Deputy CM,” tweeted KC Venugopal.