As Chhattisgarh Deputy CM hardens stance against party MLA, Congress’ unity takes a hit

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singh Deo dealt a blow to the Congress party’s efforts to present a united face ahead of Assembly elections over an angry outburst directed at a fellow MLA

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singh Deo on August 28 dealt a blow to the Congress party’s efforts to present a united face ahead of Assembly elections over an angry outburst directed at a fellow MLA. 

Addressing a gathering of party workers in Balrampur district, Mr. Singh Deo recalled a two-year-old incident in which Ramanujganj MLA Brihaspat Singh had cited a threat to his life from Mr. Singh Deo and said there “would be no compromise on such matters”. Mr. Singh Deo later hinted that he would stay away from campaigning activities in the area if Mr. Singh, who has applied for a ticket, was fielded. 

“One such incident has happened in Chhattisgarh in which someone has crossed the line to accuse me of being a threat to their life, there can be no compromise here. What will happen in the future, it’s for the public and the party to think about, but there can be no compromise there as far as I am concerned,” Mr. Singh Deo said. 

While he did not name anyone, the reference appeared to have been made in the context of the 2021 episode in which Mr. Singh, following an attack on a vehicle in his convoy, had claimed that the attack had been carried out at the behest of Mr. Singh Deo as he (Mr. Singh) had praised Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. After Mr. Singh Deo expressed his displeasure, Mr. Singh had apologised. The Sarguja royal scion said that he would not tolerate any public remarks directed against the Maharaja and Maharani sa’ab, a reference to his late parents. 

Mr. Singh Deo later told The Hindu that while he was accommodative of criticism in public life, if someone made denigrating remarks against him, it would not be possible for him to take political “responsibility” for their area. Notably, Ramanujganj is one of the 14 seats of the Sarguja region from where Mr. Singh Deo also hails.

Meanwhile, Mr. Singh, a two-time MLA, has reapplied for a ticket from Ramanjuganj, a reserved seat for tribals, while the BJP has already announced its candidate, senior leader and former Minister Ramvichar Netam, from there. 

And while the Congress’ candidate selection process is still underway, with the party having received nearly 1,900 applications for the 90 Assembly seats, Mr. Singh enjoys a good rapport with the Chief Minister and others in the party’s top brass, a source said.