NEW DELHI: Congress on Saturday appointed Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel as a senior observer to oversee assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, sending out signals that speculations over a possible change of guard have been averted, if only temporarily.
Baghel had earlier held similar positions in Assam and Jharkhand and was instrumental in leading extensive booth-level training programmes for the party cadres in both states. He is also learned to have discussed preparations for the UP elections with Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
тАЬThe Congress president has appointed Shri Bhupesh Bhagel, chief minister, Chhattisgarh, as AICC senior observer for the ensuing elections in Uttar Pradesh, with immediate effect,тАЭ the party said in a statement.
The appointment came days ahead of Priyanka Gandhi VadraтАЩs proposed 12,000 kilometer UP тАШPratigya yatraтАЩ, expected to begin later this month, and which will set off, formally, Congress election campaign for the 2022 UP assembly polls. Sources said, BaghelтАЩs appointment indicates the partyтАЩs seriousness in fighting the electoral battle in UP, where it is pitted against the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP and regional satraps Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati. Congress has 7 MLAs in the 403-seat assembly.
The development came even as speculations of a possible change of guard in Chhattisgarh intensified once again after almost two dozen party MLAs known to be close to Baghel flew into Delhi to meet Chhattisgarh in-charge PL Punia, who, incidentally, was in Lucknow and claimed the MLAs had not sought a prior appointment.
While Baghel said MLAs were free to travel and their landing in Delhi should not be seen through the prism of politics, he also asserted, while speaking on the sidelines of government function in Raipur that his state will тАЬnever become PunjabтАЭ, and that the only similarity they had was the numbers in their names.
тАЬChhattisgarh will always remain Chhattisgarh. It cannot become Punjab. The two states have only one similarity that both have numbers in their namesтАжPunjab is land of punj (five) aab (water). It is made up of five rivers. Similarly, Chhattisgarh has derived its name from ‘chhattis’ (thirty six) ‘garh’ (fort). No other states have numbers in their names. There is no other similarity between the two states,тАЭ he said.
Baghel had earlier held similar positions in Assam and Jharkhand and was instrumental in leading extensive booth-level training programmes for the party cadres in both states. He is also learned to have discussed preparations for the UP elections with Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
тАЬThe Congress president has appointed Shri Bhupesh Bhagel, chief minister, Chhattisgarh, as AICC senior observer for the ensuing elections in Uttar Pradesh, with immediate effect,тАЭ the party said in a statement.
The appointment came days ahead of Priyanka Gandhi VadraтАЩs proposed 12,000 kilometer UP тАШPratigya yatraтАЩ, expected to begin later this month, and which will set off, formally, Congress election campaign for the 2022 UP assembly polls. Sources said, BaghelтАЩs appointment indicates the partyтАЩs seriousness in fighting the electoral battle in UP, where it is pitted against the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP and regional satraps Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati. Congress has 7 MLAs in the 403-seat assembly.
The development came even as speculations of a possible change of guard in Chhattisgarh intensified once again after almost two dozen party MLAs known to be close to Baghel flew into Delhi to meet Chhattisgarh in-charge PL Punia, who, incidentally, was in Lucknow and claimed the MLAs had not sought a prior appointment.
While Baghel said MLAs were free to travel and their landing in Delhi should not be seen through the prism of politics, he also asserted, while speaking on the sidelines of government function in Raipur that his state will тАЬnever become PunjabтАЭ, and that the only similarity they had was the numbers in their names.
тАЬChhattisgarh will always remain Chhattisgarh. It cannot become Punjab. The two states have only one similarity that both have numbers in their namesтАжPunjab is land of punj (five) aab (water). It is made up of five rivers. Similarly, Chhattisgarh has derived its name from ‘chhattis’ (thirty six) ‘garh’ (fort). No other states have numbers in their names. There is no other similarity between the two states,тАЭ he said.
