
The Congress on Wednesday appointed TS Singh Deo as the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. The move comes just months before the assembly polls in the state. In a tweet, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said: "INC President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for appointment of TS Singh Deo as the Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. He is a loyal Congress leader and an able administrator. The state will benefit greatly from his services as Deputy CM."
Soon after the announcement, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in a tweet, congratulated Deo. "Congratulations and best wishes to Maharaj Saheb for his responsibility as Deputy Chief Minister."
TS Singh Deo and Bhupesh Baghel were the top two contenders for the chief minister's post after Congress came back to power in Chhattisgarh in 2018. Baghel won that race and became the chief minister. However, there have been reports that Congress had finalised a ‘power-sharing formula’ at the time of the selection of the chief minister in 2018.
According to this formula, Deo was to get the top post for two and a half years. However, Baghel did not budge and Congress never clarified whether there was any such understanding. This led to tensions between Deo and Baghel, who have been at loggerheads for the last two years.
In April this year, Deo said, "The media is time and again asking about the '2.5-2.5 years CM' (2.5 years Baghel and 2.5 years Deo) formula. It hurts when it doesn't happen." He also alleged that he and his ministers "are not free to speak about what happens behind closed doors".
The 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly poll is scheduled to be held later this year to elect all 90 members of the state's House.