TS Singh Deo appointed Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister

June 30, 2023

TS Singh Deo appointed Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister: Mallikarjun Kharge named TS Singh Deo as the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Singh Deo’s appointment was announced at the Congress headquarters in Delhi at a review meeting to discuss the impending Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. In 2018, when the Congress returned to power in Chhattisgarh after 15 years, a war of supremacy had broken out between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo, over the chief minister’s chair. Later, it was decided that the CM post would be fixed for Baghel for two-and-a-half years and for Deo for the remaining half.

Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections Loom as Power-Sharing Agreement Controversy Persists

However, the formula was not implemented and several attempts were made to corner Deo. Since then, Singh Deo and CM Bhupesh Baghel have been at loggerheads. The 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly election is slated for November of this year, with all 90 members of the state’s Legislative Assembly being elected. According to the TS Singh Deo camp, there was a rotating power-sharing arrangement that the party did not honour. There have also been allegations that the Chief Minister’s supporters have tried to undermine Mr Singh Deo.

The Battle for Power: Singh Deo and Baghel’s Rivalry in Chhattisgarh

Singh Deo has had a fractious relationship with Baghel, with both vying for the top post when the Congress swept to power in Chhattisgarh in 2018, by dislodging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after winning 68 of 90 seats. Baghel, who was then state party president, and Singh Deo, then leader of the party in the state legislature, spent several days in Delhi, attempting to thrash out a solution. Those close to Singh Deo argued that a two-and-a-half year rotational system, where he would take over for the second half of the tenure, was thrashed out. This has always been rejected by the Baghel side. The issue caused conflict between the two leaders, causing the party’s top command to interfere in September 2021, when numerous MLAs gathered in Delhi to demonstrate their support for Baghel. As rumours of a change in guard swirled, Singh Deo resigned from one of his portfolios of rural development in July 2022.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Chhattisgarh Capital: Raipur (Executive Branch);
ChhattisgarhGovernor: Biswabhusan Harichandan;
ChhattisgarhChief minister: Bhupesh Baghel.