RAIPUR: The recent leadership transition in Karnataka has reignited the political debate over the controversial "two-and-a-half-year power-sharing formula" that dominated the tenure of the previous Congress government in Chhattisgarh, triggering a fresh war of words between Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The issue resurfaced after a public statement by former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, prompting renewed political sparring.
The debate gathered further momentum following differing responses from former Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo and BJP state Finance Minister OP Choudhary, reviving memories of the intense internal power dynamics that shaped Chhattisgarh's leadership after the 2018 Assembly elections.
Baghel firmly maintained that the Congress high command had never asked him to resign during his tenure.
"From the very first day I took oath as Chief Minister, I was constantly faced with the question of whether I was appointed for only two and a half years," Baghel said.
He reiterated that he had made his position clear from the outset: if the party leadership had directed him to step down, he would have done so immediately.
Baghel further accused the BJP of deliberately creating a false narrative. According to him, the opposition repeatedly kept the issue alive to create confusion and divert attention from the public welfare measures implemented by his government.
Singh Deo, however, offered a measured response. He said that in politics, many high-level deliberations take place behind closed doors and that maintaining the confidentiality and sanctity of such discussions is a responsibility shared by all leaders.
The ruling BJP launched a sharp attack on the previous Congress government's internal conflicts.
"The people of Chhattisgarh were aware of the bitter factionalism and the tug of war between the state's 'Jai and Veeru' (referring to Baghel and Singh Deo). The administrative machinery and developmental works suffered because of this non-stop struggle for the throne," claimed OP Choudhary, the state's Finance Minister.
