Bhupesh Baghel is Chhattisgarh Chief Minister

Raipur: Chhattisgarh PCC president Bhupesh Baghel, who led the Congress to a landslide victory in the state, was named Chief Minister by the party on Sunday. The 68-member Congress Legislature Party, which met here in the afternoon, elected him its leader, paving the way for the 57-year-old OBC leader to become the third CM of Chhattisgarh. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who attended the CLP meet as AICC observer, announced his name as the new chief minister of the state. His appointment followed four-day-long hectic parleys and deliberations with party president Rahul Gandhi.

Later, Mr Baghel led a delegation of newly-elected Congress MLAs to Raj Bhavan to submit the letter by the CLP electing him as its leader. He is due to be sworn in as Chief Minister by governor Anandiben Patel at the Science College ground here at 4.30 pm.

Congress president Ra-hul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a host of senior Congress leaders, besides heads of some regional parties, are expected to attend his oath-taking ceremony.

Mr Baghel said he has set two key priorities — a fresh probe to unearth the political conspiracy in the massacre of frontline Congress leaders by Naxals in Jheeram Ghati in Bastar district in May 2013, and to implement the farm loan waiver as promised by his party.

Mr Baghel said a special investigation team would be constituted to investigate the massacre of 27 Congress leaders to bring to light the role played by politicians and police officers.

Mr Baghel said the decision to write off crop loans would be cleared at the very first meeting of his Cabinet, which would be convened within 10 days of government formation.

Mr Baghel took over the reins in January 2013 when morale of the Congress cadres was at its lowest following the massacre of party leaders and the third successive defeat of the party.

Mr Baghel, a post-graduate from Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University in Raipur, first took on ex-colleague Ajit Jogi and BJP strongman Raman Singh. Mr Baghel was perhaps the only Congress leader who dared to oppose Mr Jogi, considered the most powerful leader in the party in Chhattisgarh then because of his purported proximity to the high command, and ensured his exit from the party. He ruthlessly curbed infighting by showing supporters of Mr Jogi the door. 

He braved all kinds of threats while pressing for a CBI probe into the 2013 massacre of 27 Congress leaders. Mr Baghel had to spend a couple of days in jail in Raipur after CBI charge-sheeted him in an alleged fake sex-CD case involving a BJP minister.