RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday dismissed speculation about any sort of formula or understanding for change of guard after two and a half years in the state, saying it was the party high command’s call.
“If the party high command asks someone else to step in as chief minister, it will be so. It is not a decision to be taken by the chief minister,” he told reporters in New Delhi after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He also met AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi later.
Asked about speculation that there was an agreement or formula in December 2018 that there would be a leadership change after half-term, Baghel remarked: “You should ask the party high command, which is empowered to appoint or remove anyone. The party high command asked me to take the oath, so I did. When they say someone else will be the chief minister, it will be so. Such arrangements happen only in a coalition government. The Congress government in Chhattisgarh enjoys three-fourth majority in the assembly.”
‘Planning scheme for landless people’
Regarding the upcoming assembly elections in UP, Baghel said he would discharge any responsibility to be given by the high command in the coming elections.
Baghel completed two and a half years in office on June 17 last. After his meeting with senior party leaders, the chief minister hinted that his government was contemplating introducing a ‘Nyay” yojana for the landless people.
He said the state government was already giving agriculture input subsidies to the farmers at the rate of about Rs 9,000 per acre. Now the Nyay yojana would be extended to the landless people and modalities of the scheme would be worked out soon.
