(ET)
The Congress leadership is expected to announce the name of the new Chhattisgarh chief minister on Saturday, after four aspirants who met Congress president Rahul Gandhi for consultations on Friday afternoon left the final decision to him.
Ambikapur MLA Anurag Singh Deo,popularly known as TS Baba from the erstwhile royal family of Sarguja, and PCC president Bhupesh Baghel, elected from Patan and OBC leader, are front runners. Apart from them, those who attended Gandhi’s Friday afternoon deliberations included the other two aspirants, Charan Das Mahant and Tamradhwaj Sahu, central observer Mallikarjun Kharge and state incharge PL Punia.
A sizeable section of MLAs are learnt to have pitched for Deo during consultations Kharge had with the newlyelected MLAs and also in the simultaneous exercise Rahul Gandhi carried out directly through Shakti App. Kharge had submitted his report to Rahul Gandhi on Thursday. A section of Chhattisgarh MLAs are believed have pitched for Deo for his clean image, for being articulate and ability to take different sections along. Congress would have to immediately hit the ground to prepare for the Lok Sabha elections which are around the corner. Baghel, credited with infusing fresh blood in the organisation ahead of polls, has his share of controversies.
