RAIPUR: With the Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh due after four months, the rift evidently surfaced within the ruling Congress as the PCC chief Mohan Markam, instead of heeding to the command given by the party in-charge Kumari Selja, chose to continue with his decision that reshuffled as many as six key office bearers in the organisation.
Selja has asked the PCC chief to immediately revoke all new appointments made by him and asked him to assign senior Congressman Ravi Ghosh the responsibility as the general secretary (administration and organisation). Markam had shifted Ghosh as in-charge of Bastar. Selja’s letter addressed to Markam carries an implied thrust that the approved list issued by him is not acceptable to her.
Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel is said to be unhappy with Markam’s list that ruffled many feathers within the Congress. The speculations were rife about the strong differences persisting between Baghel and Markam and the recent development has apparently brought the tussle to the fore.
According to the party insiders, the Baghel camp followers expressed their resentment claiming the PCC president neither consulted the chief minister nor discussed or brought it to the notice of the state party in-charge. However Markam seems firm to continue with his opted choice and said that till the next list is not issued all the newly appointed office bearers will continue working in their given respective position.
“The list issued (by him on June 16) is based on the effective utility of the party office bearers during the polls. The work division within the organisation is carried out based on their performance, that gets reviewed. Till the another list is issued, those who are given the responsibility will continue to deliver their roles for the party”, said Markam, MLA who represents tribal seat Kondagaon in north Bastar. The BJP state president Arun Sao addressed the issue , said that people’s welfare has suffered owing to the alleged internal strife within the Congress.