TS Singh Deo made deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh months ahead of polls

The Congress leader has been locked in a turf war with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel since June 2021.

Jun 29, 2023 - 09:30

TS Singh Deo made deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh months ahead of polls

The Congress on Wednesday appointed TS Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh just months ahead of Assembly elections in the state.

The decision was taken after a meeting was held by the Congress leadership in New Delhi to discuss the poll strategy in Chhattisgarh.

INC President Sh. Mallikarjun @kharge ji has approved the proposal for appointment of Sh. TS Singh Deo @TS_SinghDeo ji as the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.

He is a loyal Congress leader and an able administrator. The state will benefit greatly from his services as…— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) June 28, 2023

The meeting was attended by Deo, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the official in charge of the Congress in the state, Kumari Selja, and General Secretary KC Venugopal.

Deo has been locked in a turf war with Baghel since June 2021. His supporters claim that there had been an agreement under which he was to serve as the chief minister for two-and-a-half years.

In June 2022, Deo had resigned as the panchayat and rural development minister, hinting he had been sidelined in the Baghel-led government. He has also publicly expressed his displeasure at not being given an “effective role” in the party, according to The Indian Express.