Power tussle intensifies in Chhattisgarh Cong, Ravindra Choubey gets TS Singhdeo’s portfolio

Days after senior Chhattisgarh minister T S Singhdeo quit as Panchayat and Rural Development minister, CM Bhupesh Baghel handed over the portfolio to his cabinet colleague Ravindra Choubey on Thursday.

The power tussle between senior Congress minister TS Singhdeo and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel intensified this month, with the latter stepping down as the Panchayati Raj Minister.

65-year-old Ravindra Choubey was given the Panchayat and Rural Development portfolio. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel made the announcement in the state Assembly.

ALSO READ | What TS Singh Deo’s resignation tells about Congress’s Chhattisgarh faction

Singhdeo took to Twitter to wish Ravindra Choubey. “Congratulations to the experienced cabinet colleague Mr@RChoubeyCG on getting the responsibility of Panchayat and Rural Development department,” the senior state Congress leader tweeted in Hindi.

WHY DID TS SINGHDEO RESIGN?

In his resignation letter, Singhdeo had said he was unable to fulfil the targets of the department as per the vision of the Jan Ghoshna Patra (poll manifesto) given the “current scenario”.

Despite his repeated requests, funds were not sanctioned under the PM Awas Yojna, as a result of which houses could not be constructed for eight lakh people in the state, TS Singhdeo had claimed.

BJP MOVES NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION AGAINST STATE GOVT

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday moved a no-confidence motion against the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government in the Chhattisgarh Assembly. On the second day of the monsoon session of the state legislature, the opposition party tabled the motion expressing no confidence in the council of ministers.

Speaker Charan Das Mahant read out the motion notice and scheduled a discussion on it on July 27.

ALSO READ | Why tensions between Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and minister T.S. Singhdeo refuse to die down

— ENDS —