Congress warrior Bhupesh Baghel to be chief minister of Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: The w arrior who razed the mighty BJP in Chhattisgarh , Bhupesh Baghel has been named the chief minister on Sunday as the Congress wrested power in a landslide victory after 15 years.
After hectic deliberations with Congress president during the last four days, the 68-member Congress legislature party (CLP) met at the state party headquarters where the name of Bhupesh Baghel was formally announced by AICC observer and senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday afternoon.The 57-year-old OBC leader, who headed the state Congress organisation for the last five years, would head the new government.
Baghel will be sworn-in as chief minister at a public function to be held at Science College grounds in Raipur on Monday at 4.30pm. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh are expected attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Baghel will be sworn-in as CM on Monday.
His elevation to the top post is being seen as recognition for reviving a defunct and demoralised state organisation and instilling courage among the party’s rank and file to halt the BJP juggernaut. Baghel, who belongs to Kurmi community, represents Patan assembly segment.
In the process during the last five years, Baghel faced many odds from within infighting ridden party unit and his relentless efforts paid off leading to exit of former chief minister Ajit Jogi and his supporters from the Congress. At the same time, Baghel led the party to take the bull by its horns—mounting an attack on the BJP government on many issues, including corruption both inside and outside the assembly.
Being the strong critic of BJP who even directed his attack against chief minister and his family members and the top bureaucrats, cases were registered against the PCC chief, his wife, mother by the state bureau of economic offences wing in connection with alleged land grabbing. Besides, a couple of other old complaints were dug up to register cases but the state Congress president did not succumb to such pressure, stuck to his position accusing the BJP government of political vendetta.
Unlike many other ‘soft’ Congress leaders, BJP always considered him as an aggressive politician, who can become a major irritant. In April this year, the state police arrested a journalist claiming that sex CDs of a minister were found in his possession and also registered an FIR against PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel under the relevant sections of the IT Act. Later, the CBI probed the case and filed chargesheet against a BJP leader Kailash Morarka, Bhupesh Baghel and others.
Baghel refused to come out on bail and stayed in judicial custody for a couple of days before being impressed upon by the Congress high command to come out in bail to focus on election campaigning. In the run up to the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah personally targeted Baghel during the campaign.