Team News Riveting
Raipur, August 27
In the mid monsoon season, it was not the heavy rains that stranded normal life for a section of people in Chhattisgarh. The state could feel the heat of political temperature flaring up at the Congress headquarters in the national capital on Friday.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel today afternoon reached New Delhi on his second visit over a period of four days following a call from the Congress leadership. The visit added political significance as 55 Congress lawmakers of the 70 in the state also rushed to New Delhi. The movement and activities of the MLAs were keenly watched as they turned up in support of Baghel and put up a firm resistance to any possible leadership change.
For the last one week, Chhattisgarh is buzzed with the reports of leadership change following the feud simmering in the state Congress. T S Singh Deo’s name figured high as he had been continuously “humiliated” by a section that reportedly did not go well with the party high command. The party high command had held a detailed discussion with both the leaders on Tuesday but confusion prevailed.
Baghel’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi at the latter’s residence on Friday started late in the noon. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and party’s in-charge PL Punia were present. A section comprising bureaucrats, scribes, politicians and businessmen were stuck to the television screen waiting to note the outcome of the meeting.
During the course, the state capital was flooded with rumours. And when party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined the meeting, reports flashed out that a group had got breather as she had changed the stream of the agenda. For almost three hours, Chhattisgarh was in a state of suspense and literally, it continued after the meeting was over.
After the meeting, Baghel said he had briefed Rahul Gandhi “everything” and discussed the state’s politics and development schemes launched by the Congress government. When asked about the leadership change, Baghel said, “I have said everything that I had to say to my leader. Discussed politics and briefed him on the state’s policies and governance. I invited him to the state and he has accepted the invite and will be visiting Chhattisgarh next week.”
Now, the political circle in Chhattisgarh is humming to read between the lines of Rahul’s proposed visit.
