Baghel meets Rahul, status quo in Chhattisgarh

The much-hyped meeting between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel lasted three hours on Friday but saw no decision being taken on a leadership change, party sources said.

After the meeting, Baghel said that he has invited Gandhi to visit the state.

"I have apprised him of everything and discussed political as well as administrative issues... have requested Rahul Gandhi to visit Chhattisgarh," he said.

The Congress high command had summoned Baghel to Delhi on Friday to take a final call whether the powerful OBC leader should be allowed to continue as the Chief Minister or be replaced by T.S. Singh Deo, scion of the Surguja royal family.

Political temperature within the Congress in Chhattisgarh has all of a sudden soared as 56 party MLAs are openly backing Baghel and they are ready to parade before the party high command in New Delhi. A majority of them have already landed in the national capital.

Congress has 70 MLAs in the 90-member House in the mineral-rich state, but still everything is not well within the party as Singh Deo is pushing hard in his bid to replace Baghel, saying he was promised in late 2018 that he would succeed Baghel after the latter completes two and half years.-IANS