Chhattisgarh Congress crisis: MLAs arrive in Delhi, meet state party in-charge Punia

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Amid the ongoing rift in Chhattisgarh Congress for a change in leadership, the Chhattisgarh Congress MLAs, who had arrived in the national capital on Thursday, held a meeting with Chhattisgarh Congress in-charge PL Punia at the latter's residence late night.

Several party MLAs in Chhattisgarh, including three state ministers, had left for Delhi on Thursday evening to meet the Congress high command in the national capital.

This development comes before the scheduled meeting between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday. This will be the second meeting of Baghel with Rahul Gandhi over the reported ongoing power tussle in the Chhattisgarh unit of the party.

Earlier on Tuesday, Baghel and state Health Minister TS Singh Deo met party leadership including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and party's Chhattisgarh in-charge PL Punia in the national capital.

Punia had earlier said, "CM Bhupesh Baghel had asked for time to meet Rahul Gandhi. He will be meeting him on Friday. No other MLA has been called to Delhi by the high command or any other person. Such information circulating is misleading."

Baghel on Wednesday had said that he would step down from his post when party interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi asked him to do so.

"I will step down when Sonia and Rahul Ji order me. Those talking about 2.5 years plan are trying to bring political instability but will never succeed," he told reporters when he arrived in Raipur after his visit to Delhi on Wednesday.

After the Baghel government completed two-and-a-half years in office in June the supporters of TS Singh Deo raised the issue of rotational chief ministership. Though Congress never talked about the two-and-a-half-year formula in Chhattisgarh, the supporters of Deo claim that this was promised.

Congress won the assembly polls held in December 2018 with a thumping majority. Then, the state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel was made the chief minister. TS Singh Deo was the head of the manifesto committee in the election. Supporters of both Baghel and TS have claimed that the party's victory was due to their leaders. 

(With ANI inputs)

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