C’garh: Baghel Rules Out Contesting in LS Polls

Raipur: Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday ruled out the possibility of his contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, due in April-May this year.

"I am not going to contest in the Lok Sabha polls”, Mr Baghel who currently represents Patan Assembly constituency under Durg district in Chhattisgarh told reporters at Raipur airport before leaving for Delhi.

Mr Baghel is scheduled to travel to Purnea in Bihar from Delhi on Sunday to coordinate Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the state.

Mr Baghel’s statement comes amid speculations in political circles here that he may be asked to contest in Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming polls.

The former chief minister said that he has been assigned the task of coordinating the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra of Mr Gandhi in Bihar.

He will carry out whatever responsibilities given by the party to him, Mr Baghel said.

Sources close to him said that Mr Baghel may be asked to play a role to resolve the current rift in the ruling alliance in Bihar, triggered by speculations that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar may exit the alliance and return to NDA fold to form a new government in the state along with BJP.

Sources disclosed that he may be assigned the task of exploring new partners in Bihar to join INDIA alliance and prevent BJP from coming to power in Bihar.

Mr Baghel is part of the five-member panel constituted by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in December last to look after alliances for the upcoming LS elections.

Other members in the committee are former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, former Union minister Salman Khurshid, Mukul Wasnik and Mohan Prakash.