Never said anything on '2.5-year CM formula' in Chhattisgarh: T.S. Singh Deo

By Sandeep Pauranik
Raipur, May 17 Amid deliberations in the Congress over who will be Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah or D.K. Shivakumar political circles are once again agog with rumours of 2.5-year power-sharing formula, just like in Chhattisgarh in 2018.

However, Chhattisgarh Health Minister T.S. Singh Deo on Tuesday made it clear that he has never expressed his view on this formula.

In 2018 Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, the Congress had scored a big win over the BJP which was in power in the state for 15 years. At that time, two prospective leaders for the chief minister's post were Bhupesh Baghel and Deo. Finally, the rein of the state was handed over to Baghel.

At that time speculation was rife in political circles that the Congress high command has promised chief minister's post to both for 2.5 years.

However, any party leader has never shared anything about it.

Talking to about the issue, Deo said: "Discussion on 2.5 years chief minister formula was done by media as is now being done in Karnataka but nobody has said anything about it. The formula thing was talked about when chief minister for Chhattigarh was announced. Now media should tell what is its source.

I have never said that it was for 2.5 years. I have time and again said that all the decisions are taken by party high command. These sort of decisions are taken by high command. It is also true that tenure of the chief minister is not fixed. I have seen chief ministers changing. Many were in power for 15 years while other for 10 years like Sheila Dikshit (15 years) and Digvijaya Singh (10 years). Nobody is fixed in the parties. It is all based on speculation that who are first runners of the party and sharing can be done between them.

On prospects of Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, Deo said that the grand-old party has fulfiled almost all the promises made in election manifesto regarding farmers loan waiver, hike in MSP of paddy, coarse grains, opening English medium government schools, and the few which have been left will be fulfiled soon. The party will enter the polls fray with achievements it made during its tenure.

On his relations with Baghel, Deo said he was having the portfolio for Panchayati Raj and the Health department but as he was unable to fulfil the responsibility of the Panchayati Raj department, he resigned from that portfolio.