Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Likely To Be Roped In For Congress’ UP Poll Campaign

 Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is likely to play a key role in preparing the Congress’ Uttar Pradesh unit for the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled to take place next year, sources told PTI.

Baghel met Uttar Pradesh Congress general secretary in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday at party chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence in Delhi.

Baghel is likely to be tasked with developing the Congress’ polls strategy and taking care of booth management.

Sources told PTI, that during her discussion with Baghel, Priyanka Gandhi discussed booth management and Congress worker's conference apart from suggesting that Chhattisgarh Congress leaders be sent to UP to help the party cadre there.

Congress treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal and Rajeev Shukla also took part in the meeting.
On the recommendation of Baghel, his parliamentary advisor Rajesh Tiwari has been made AICC secretary-in-charge of Uttar Pradesh.

Amid speculation about an agreement in 2018 that Baghel would be chief minister of Chhattisgarh for two and a half years after which the state's health minister, T S Singhdeo, would take over, Baghel told reporters that he had taken oath after the high command asked him to and if the party top brass asks someone else to step in, it will be so.

However, sources in the Baghel camp said the party's top leadership has assured him that he would continue as the chief minister.

P L Punia, the AICC in-charge Chhattisgarh, said the speculation over leadership change was only in the media and was not true.

"Whatever is being circulated in the media (about leadership change) has no truth in it and there is no such agreement or decision on it that is being talked about," Punia told PTI.

Asked if Baghel would continue as the chief minister, he answered in the affirmative.

Baghel had also met Punia at the latter's residence here earlier in the day before heading back to Chhattisgarh.

(With PTI inputs)