News Analysis India

Tag: Bhupesh Baghel

  • I-T raids at premises linked to businessmen in Chhattisgarh; Congress takes dig at Centre

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: The Income Tax Department on Wednesday conducted raids at multiple locations linked to some businessmen in Chhattisgarh, police officials said.

    The searches are underway since early this morning in different districts including Raipur and Raigarh.

    Police officials in these districts confirmed that the IT teams assisted by the Central police force are present at the premises, including offices, of some steel and coal traders and civil contractors.

    The nature of the action being carried out by the I-T department is not yet clear, they said.

    Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel told reporters at the Raipur airport that he had already predicted raids by the Income Tax and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

    “I had said (that raids will happen)… now ED will also follow them,” Baghel said when asked about the action by the IT department.

    Last week, Baghel had said his “well-wishers” informed him that Chhattisgarh will soon see raids by the ED and IT because MLAs of the ruling UPA coalition from neighbouring Jharkhand were staying at a resort near Raipur.

    The legislators of the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition had stayed in the resort for six days before they were flown back to Ranchi on Sunday.

    Commenting on the raids, Chhattisgarh Congress communication wing’s chief Sushil Anand Shukla alleged the Modi government has been misusing the Central probe agencies.

    “There are reports that raids are being carried out by I-T at the premises of some businessmen. The way the Modi government is misusing Central investigation agencies, a slogan ‘kednra sarkar ke teen jamai (sons-in-law), ED, IT, and CBI’ has become common among people,” he said.

    Shukla alleged the Modi government has misused the Central agencies against its political opponents so much in the last eight years that even when I-T conducts raids as part of the routine investigation it is also seen as a politically motivated exercise.

    In June-July this year, the I-T department raided several places in Chhattisgarh including the premises of coal trader Suryakant Tiwari and the house of a government official posted at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

    RAIPUR: The Income Tax Department on Wednesday conducted raids at multiple locations linked to some businessmen in Chhattisgarh, police officials said.

    The searches are underway since early this morning in different districts including Raipur and Raigarh.

    Police officials in these districts confirmed that the IT teams assisted by the Central police force are present at the premises, including offices, of some steel and coal traders and civil contractors.

    The nature of the action being carried out by the I-T department is not yet clear, they said.

    Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel told reporters at the Raipur airport that he had already predicted raids by the Income Tax and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

    “I had said (that raids will happen)… now ED will also follow them,” Baghel said when asked about the action by the IT department.

    Last week, Baghel had said his “well-wishers” informed him that Chhattisgarh will soon see raids by the ED and IT because MLAs of the ruling UPA coalition from neighbouring Jharkhand were staying at a resort near Raipur.

    The legislators of the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition had stayed in the resort for six days before they were flown back to Ranchi on Sunday.

    Commenting on the raids, Chhattisgarh Congress communication wing’s chief Sushil Anand Shukla alleged the Modi government has been misusing the Central probe agencies.

    “There are reports that raids are being carried out by I-T at the premises of some businessmen. The way the Modi government is misusing Central investigation agencies, a slogan ‘kednra sarkar ke teen jamai (sons-in-law), ED, IT, and CBI’ has become common among people,” he said.

    Shukla alleged the Modi government has misused the Central agencies against its political opponents so much in the last eight years that even when I-T conducts raids as part of the routine investigation it is also seen as a politically motivated exercise.

    In June-July this year, the I-T department raided several places in Chhattisgarh including the premises of coal trader Suryakant Tiwari and the house of a government official posted at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

  • ‘Fall of BJP in Bihar will make ED, CBI also visit there, leading to reduce pressure on Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh’: Bhupesh Baghel

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: Taking a jibe at BJP Government’s fall in Bihar, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that it will ultimately reduce pressure on Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh as ED and CBI will now also start visiting there. 

    Addressing a gathering of tribals from across the Country during the concluding ceremony of Jharkhand Janjatiya Mahotsav in Ranchi on Wednesday, Baghel said that BJP was trying to put a bouncer in Jharkhand, but Hemant Soren Government played hook shot leading to fall of their government in Bihar.

    Jharkhand had organized Jharkhand Janjatiya Mahotsav to mark International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, popularly known as World Tribal Day, for the first time on August 9-10, participated by the artists from tribal-dominated states, including the north-eastern states of India. Baghel was also invited there as chief guest for the closing ceremony.

    “I heard a few days back that some political crisis is being created here in Jharkhand. In terms of cricket, BJP was trying to put bouncer to topple the Hemant Soren Government, but they played a hook shot which led to the fall of their government in Bihar,” said Baghel. Now ED and CBI will also start visiting Bihar quite frequently, which will ultimately decrease the pressure on Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, he added.

    Referring to the green cover in the tribal-dominated states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, Baghel informed that they are not only fulfilling the oxygen requirement of the Country but also providing power requirements through large deposits of natural resources like coal and other minerals.

    Baghel further added that tribal-dominated states do not only provide oxygen but also provides power to the entire Country, further saying that the Central Government is trying to snatch the rights of tribal-dominated states.

    “We never disrupted its supply even in adverse situations but when it comes to our rights, whether the Central Government is able to help us,” questioned Chhattisgarh CM. He also warned the BJP not to judge tribal states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh as weak states.

    “I just want to say that the tribal culture is one of the oldest cultures in this world, and it is our duty to conserve this primitive culture, which is capably being done by Jharkhand Government,” said Baghel. He also thanked Soren for celebrating World Tribal Day for two days and declaring a holiday on this day as done by him in Chhattisgarh.

    Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on the other hand said that everywhere there are discussions about protecting the forests, hills and rivers, but there is no discussion about protecting the tribal community.

    “Therefore, August 9 is like a resolution day for us so that the tribal community could raise their voice to make them reach to the people sitting on the top of the hierarchy,” said Soren. The tribal community has to fight many more battles for their rights, he added.

    RANCHI: Taking a jibe at BJP Government’s fall in Bihar, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that it will ultimately reduce pressure on Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh as ED and CBI will now also start visiting there. 

    Addressing a gathering of tribals from across the Country during the concluding ceremony of Jharkhand Janjatiya Mahotsav in Ranchi on Wednesday, Baghel said that BJP was trying to put a bouncer in Jharkhand, but Hemant Soren Government played hook shot leading to fall of their government in Bihar.

    Jharkhand had organized Jharkhand Janjatiya Mahotsav to mark International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, popularly known as World Tribal Day, for the first time on August 9-10, participated by the artists from tribal-dominated states, including the north-eastern states of India. Baghel was also invited there as chief guest for the closing ceremony.

    “I heard a few days back that some political crisis is being created here in Jharkhand. In terms of cricket, BJP was trying to put bouncer to topple the Hemant Soren Government, but they played a hook shot which led to the fall of their government in Bihar,” said Baghel. Now ED and CBI will also start visiting Bihar quite frequently, which will ultimately decrease the pressure on Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, he added.

    Referring to the green cover in the tribal-dominated states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, Baghel informed that they are not only fulfilling the oxygen requirement of the Country but also providing power requirements through large deposits of natural resources like coal and other minerals.

    Baghel further added that tribal-dominated states do not only provide oxygen but also provides power to the entire Country, further saying that the Central Government is trying to snatch the rights of tribal-dominated states.

    “We never disrupted its supply even in adverse situations but when it comes to our rights, whether the Central Government is able to help us,” questioned Chhattisgarh CM. He also warned the BJP not to judge tribal states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh as weak states.

    “I just want to say that the tribal culture is one of the oldest cultures in this world, and it is our duty to conserve this primitive culture, which is capably being done by Jharkhand Government,” said Baghel. 
    He also thanked Soren for celebrating World Tribal Day for two days and declaring a holiday on this day as done by him in Chhattisgarh.

    Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on the other hand said that everywhere there are discussions about protecting the forests, hills and rivers, but there is no discussion about protecting the tribal community.

    “Therefore, August 9 is like a resolution day for us so that the tribal community could raise their voice to make them reach to the people sitting on the top of the hierarchy,” said Soren. The tribal community has to fight many more battles for their rights, he added.

  • Amid turf war, Chhattisgarh CM Baghel, Singh Deo go to Delhi to meet Congress high command

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his cabinet colleague T S Singh Deo, who are locked in a power tussle, have gone to Delhi to meet the Congress high command.

    Baghel, appointed as the Congress’ senior observer for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, said he would meet party leaders in Delhi on Sunday.

    “I will also meet our leaders of Himachal Pradesh,” the CM told reporters at the Swami Vivekananda Airport here on Saturday evening before leaving for the national capital.

    Singh Deo, who was in Bhopal, had also left for Delhi and will be seeking a meeting with the top Congress leaders, sources close to him said.

    On July 16, Singh Deo resigned as the minister of Panchayat and Rural Development, though he retained his other portfolios.

    In his four-page resignation letter to the chief minister, Singh Deo claimed he was unable to fulfil the targets set for the rural development department as per the Jan Ghoshna Patra (poll manifesto), given the “current scenario”.

    In June 2021, the rivalry between Baghel and Singh Deo had come to the fore for a brief period after Baghel completed two-and-a-half years as CM.

    Singh Deo’s supporters claimed that as per an understanding reached in 2018, he was supposed to take over after Baghel completed half the term.

    While Singh Deo later backed down after both the leaders met the party high command in Delhi, he recently voiced opposition to coal mine projects in the Hasdeo Arand forest area of Surguja district, and hinted the truce was over.

    Baghel on Thursday handed over the Panchayat and Rural Development portfolio to senior minister Ravindra Choubey.

    Replying to a question at the airport on Saturday, Baghel said “there is respect” for all central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, “but ED raids only those places where there is a non-BJP government.”

    “They also come to Chhattisgarh. There were no financial irregularities in National Herald (newspaper) but it is investigating it. In Chhattisgarh, chit fund companies looted Rs 6,500 crore from poor people (during the BJP rule) and escaped. Why doesn’t the agency investigate it? We took the initiative and returned Rs 40 crore of investors,” he said.

    Former chief minister Raman Singh and his family members were “allegedly brand ambassadors (of chit fund companies)” and there is an FIR lodged against his son (Abhishek Singh) on the direction of the court, Baghel said, adding that as there is an FIR, the ED should conduct a probe into it.

    RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his cabinet colleague T S Singh Deo, who are locked in a power tussle, have gone to Delhi to meet the Congress high command.

    Baghel, appointed as the Congress’ senior observer for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, said he would meet party leaders in Delhi on Sunday.

    “I will also meet our leaders of Himachal Pradesh,” the CM told reporters at the Swami Vivekananda Airport here on Saturday evening before leaving for the national capital.

    Singh Deo, who was in Bhopal, had also left for Delhi and will be seeking a meeting with the top Congress leaders, sources close to him said.

    On July 16, Singh Deo resigned as the minister of Panchayat and Rural Development, though he retained his other portfolios.

    In his four-page resignation letter to the chief minister, Singh Deo claimed he was unable to fulfil the targets set for the rural development department as per the Jan Ghoshna Patra (poll manifesto), given the “current scenario”.

    In June 2021, the rivalry between Baghel and Singh Deo had come to the fore for a brief period after Baghel completed two-and-a-half years as CM.

    Singh Deo’s supporters claimed that as per an understanding reached in 2018, he was supposed to take over after Baghel completed half the term.

    While Singh Deo later backed down after both the leaders met the party high command in Delhi, he recently voiced opposition to coal mine projects in the Hasdeo Arand forest area of Surguja district, and hinted the truce was over.

    Baghel on Thursday handed over the Panchayat and Rural Development portfolio to senior minister Ravindra Choubey.

    Replying to a question at the airport on Saturday, Baghel said “there is respect” for all central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, “but ED raids only those places where there is a non-BJP government.”

    “They also come to Chhattisgarh. There were no financial irregularities in National Herald (newspaper) but it is investigating it. In Chhattisgarh, chit fund companies looted Rs 6,500 crore from poor people (during the BJP rule) and escaped. Why doesn’t the agency investigate it? We took the initiative and returned Rs 40 crore of investors,” he said.

    Former chief minister Raman Singh and his family members were “allegedly brand ambassadors (of chit fund companies)” and there is an FIR lodged against his son (Abhishek Singh) on the direction of the court, Baghel said, adding that as there is an FIR, the ED should conduct a probe into it.

  • TS Singh Deo skips Cong legislature party meet; ‘MLAs hurt by language of his resignation letter to CM’

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh minister TS Singh Deo, locked in a power tussle with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, on Sunday didn’t attend the Congress legislature party meeting held at the CM’s residence citing “pre-planned engagements”, a day after he relinquished a key portfolio.

    A state minister told reporters after the CLP meeting that most of the legislators of Congress are hurt over the way Singh Deo has written a resignation letter to the chief minister.

    Sources said 64 of the 71 MLAs of Congress attended the CLP meeting.

    Singh Deo had given up the charge of the Panchayat and Rural Development department citing reasons like non-allotment of funds by the chief minister for the construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

    The Congress legislature party meeting began after 7:30 PM to discuss the July 18 presidential poll and the state Assembly’s monsoon session scheduled to begin on July 20, a party leader had said, adding that discussion on Singh Deo’s issue could be held.

    In the evening, Singh Deo told PTI over the phone that he is in Ambikapur (Surguja district), his hometown and constituency, to attend pre-planned engagements and will not be able to attend the CLP meeting.

    He said he will arrive here on Monday to cast his vote for the presidential polls.

    A statement issued by Singh Deo’s office said the minister touring Ambikapur had earlier informed Secretary of the Legislature Party, Rajesh Tiwari, that he will reach Raipur on Monday for the Presidential election.

    Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey on Sunday night said most of the legislators of Congress are hurt over the way Singh Deo has written a resignation letter to the chief minister.

    “The way maharaj sahab (a reference to Singh Deo) has written a letter (to the CM), most of the MLAs have raised a big question mark over it. Most of them are feeling hurt over the way he has written about the working of the government,” he added.

    Singh Deo had resigned as the Panchayat and Rural Development Minister but continues to hold health and family welfare, medical education, twenty-point implementation and commercial tax (GST) portfolios.

    In his resignation letter to the chief minister, Singh Deo had claimed that not a single house was built for homeless people under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as funds were not allotted despite “repeated request”.

    In the four-page resignation letter, Singh Deo cited various reasons, saying he was unable to fulfil the department’s targets as per the vision of the Jan Ghoshna Patra (poll manifesto), given the “current scenario”.

    When asked about what transpired at the CLP meeting, Choubey said the MLAs told All India Congress Committee’s Chhattisgarh in-charge P L Punia, who is on a visit to the state capital Raipur since July 15, that they felt hurt by Singh Deo’s letter.

    Earlier in the day, Bhupesh Baghel had said he was yet to receive Singh Deo’s resignation from the panchayat department and that he learnt about the latter’s move through the media.

    Punia had said that he had spoken to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, sBaghel and Singh Deo on the issue and a necessary decision will be taken on it.

    RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh minister TS Singh Deo, locked in a power tussle with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, on Sunday didn’t attend the Congress legislature party meeting held at the CM’s residence citing “pre-planned engagements”, a day after he relinquished a key portfolio.

    A state minister told reporters after the CLP meeting that most of the legislators of Congress are hurt over the way Singh Deo has written a resignation letter to the chief minister.

    Sources said 64 of the 71 MLAs of Congress attended the CLP meeting.

    Singh Deo had given up the charge of the Panchayat and Rural Development department citing reasons like non-allotment of funds by the chief minister for the construction of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

    The Congress legislature party meeting began after 7:30 PM to discuss the July 18 presidential poll and the state Assembly’s monsoon session scheduled to begin on July 20, a party leader had said, adding that discussion on Singh Deo’s issue could be held.

    In the evening, Singh Deo told PTI over the phone that he is in Ambikapur (Surguja district), his hometown and constituency, to attend pre-planned engagements and will not be able to attend the CLP meeting.

    He said he will arrive here on Monday to cast his vote for the presidential polls.

    A statement issued by Singh Deo’s office said the minister touring Ambikapur had earlier informed Secretary of the Legislature Party, Rajesh Tiwari, that he will reach Raipur on Monday for the Presidential election.

    Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey on Sunday night said most of the legislators of Congress are hurt over the way Singh Deo has written a resignation letter to the chief minister.

    “The way maharaj sahab (a reference to Singh Deo) has written a letter (to the CM), most of the MLAs have raised a big question mark over it. Most of them are feeling hurt over the way he has written about the working of the government,” he added.

    Singh Deo had resigned as the Panchayat and Rural Development Minister but continues to hold health and family welfare, medical education, twenty-point implementation and commercial tax (GST) portfolios.

    In his resignation letter to the chief minister, Singh Deo had claimed that not a single house was built for homeless people under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as funds were not allotted despite “repeated request”.

    In the four-page resignation letter, Singh Deo cited various reasons, saying he was unable to fulfil the department’s targets as per the vision of the Jan Ghoshna Patra (poll manifesto), given the “current scenario”.

    When asked about what transpired at the CLP meeting, Choubey said the MLAs told All India Congress Committee’s Chhattisgarh in-charge P L Punia, who is on a visit to the state capital Raipur since July 15, that they felt hurt by Singh Deo’s letter.

    Earlier in the day, Bhupesh Baghel had said he was yet to receive Singh Deo’s resignation from the panchayat department and that he learnt about the latter’s move through the media.

    Punia had said that he had spoken to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, sBaghel and Singh Deo on the issue and a necessary decision will be taken on it.

  • ‘IT officials told me I can become Chhattisgarh CM by framing CMO official’: Coal trader

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: A coal trader, whose premises were recently searched by the Income Tax department in Chhattisgarh, has claimed that IT sleuths told him that he could become the state chief minister if he uses his relations with MLAs of the ruling Congress to topple the Bhupesh Baghel government with the support of the “opposition”.

    In a video message being circulated on social media on Sunday, the trader, Suryakant Tiwari, claimed that Income Tax officials told him that he could become “Eknath Shinde of Chhattisgarh” if he frames a CMO official.

    The opposition BJP alleged that Tiwari’s statement was given at the behest of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, which it termed as baseless.

    The Congress, on the other hand, said the BJP was trying to destabilise a democratically-elected government in Chhattisgarh and cited “examples of Karnataka, MP,Manipur, and Maharashtra” .

    Tiwari also alleged that he was physically and mentally tortured after he refused to implicate a government officer posted at the state Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) by giving a false statement.

    “During the IT search since June 30 at my premises, IT sleuths threatened me and my family members. They mentally and physically tortured me and did not even allow me to sleep for three days.”

    “They forced me to link Soumya Chourasia, deputy secretary posted at the CMO, with my business anyhow and give statements against her. But the CM’s deputy secretary does not have any connection with my business activities, then, why should I implicate her?”, Tiwari asked.

    He admitted to having family relations with Chourasia and said that he meets her whenever he visits the CM’s office for “public works”.

    “I occasionally talk to her over the phone. I meet her whenever I visit the CM’s office for public works. She is not the only officer with whom I have good terms but both in BJP rule and the incumbent government, I share good relations with many officers. But IT officers wanted me to implicate her and therefore they also offered me to become the chief minister by toppling the government”, he alleged.

    He claimed that IT officials told him that he has good relations with 40-45 MLAs of Congress and asked him to make their list, and then with the support of the “vipaksh” (opposition), the government will be changed.

    “They said if I implicate Chourasia, I could become Eknath Shinde of Chhattisgarh,” he claimed.

    Shinde was sworn in as CM of Maharashtra on June 30 with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy, days after his rebellion against Shiv Sena leadership with 39 MLAs led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government.

    “I am a businessman and I have faith in the law of this country. I will go to court against the Income Tax department for forcing me to give a wrong statement. I will not succumb to their pressure. Unfortunately, Central agencies are being used as a tool for engineering a change of government in states”, he said.

    He also slammed senior BJP leader Raman Singh for demanding his arrest and said the search conducted by IT officials should not be given a political colour.

    The IT department had recently raided a Chhattisgarh-based group engaged in coal transportation and linked businesses and a senior state government officer on June 30.

    The searches were conducted in more than 30 locations in Raipur, Bhilai, Raigarh, Korba, Bilaspur and Surajpur.

    The premises of Tiwari and Chourasia were covered in the raid.

    After the video surfaced on social media, Congress and BJP fired barbs at each other.

  • Mallikarjun Kharge, Bhupesh Baghel appointed observers ahead of Rajya Sabha polls

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed senior party leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Bhupesh Baghel, as observers.

    While Kharge has been made the observer for Maharashtra, Baghel and Rajeev Shukla have been made observers for Haryana, and Pawan Kumar Bansal and T S Singh Deo for Rajasthan.

    The Congress is seeking to ensure that its candidates win the Rajya Sabha (RS) elections in Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, while the BJP has put its weight behind independent candidates in Haryana and Rajasthan.

    AICC general secretary Ajay Maken is the Congress candidate from Haryana, where two seats have fallen vacant.

    The Congress and the BJP are likely to get one seat each, but the BJP has backed media baron Kartikeya Sharma as an independent.

    Sharma is the son of Venod Sharma and son-in-law of former Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma.

    Both are considered close to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

    Congress needs 31 votes to win the seat and has as many MLAs.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on cross-voting.

    For the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, the Congress has fielded three candidates — Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari.

    While Congress is sure to get two seats, it needs 15 more votes to win the third seat of Tiwari.

    The BJP has fielded its former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari, and backed media baron Subhash Chandra as an independent for the second seat.

    In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and the BJP will battle it out for the sixth seat of Rajya Sabha as none of the seven candidates in the fray — four of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and three of the BJP — withdrew their nominations on Friday.

    The Congress has also fielded another candidate Mansoor Ali Khan in Karnataka, where the election will be held on June 10 for four seats.

    Jairam Ramesh is the other Congress candidate.

    The Congress is expecting three seats in Rajasthan and the BJP is expecting one of its own and is supporting an independent and Subhash Chandra for the fourth seat.

    Meanwhile, nearly 70 Congress MLAs from Rajasthan are camping at a hotel in Udaipur ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections to the four seats in which the party fears horse-trading by the opposition BJP, party sources said.

    The Congress, with its 108 MLAs in the state assembly, is set to win two seats.

    After winning the two seats, the party will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win the third seat.

    On the other hand, the BJP has 71 MLAs in the state assembly and is set to win one seat after which it will be left with 30 surplus votes.

    The Congress has also shifted its MLAs in Haryana to a resort in Raipur in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh.

    Of the 57 vacancies in Rajya Sabha, 41 candidates in 11 states have so far been elected unopposed.

    The elections will be held for 16 seats in four states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka.

  • Raipur Diary

    Express News Service

    Haryana Cong MLAs chilling at Mayfair The 28 Congress MLAs from Haryana, who were herded to Raipur to insulate them from horse-trading attempts for the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, are believed to be having a good time in the most expensive resort of the Chhattisgarh capital. None of them are allowed to speak to any outsider, including the media. The buzz is that ‘dialogues’ inside the Mayfair resort are taking place as part of ‘confidence building measure’. Congress general secretary Ajay Maken, who has filed nomination from Haryana, is not willing to take any risk and has also arrived. He is personally interacting with each ‘guest’. “All’s well. They (Haryana MLAs) are receiving training here,” said CM Bhupesh Baghel.

    I-T tribunal bench at Secretariat buildingRaipur has got its first full-fledged Income Tax Appellate Tribunal bench at Nava Raipur-based Central Secretariat building. It will be inaugurated by Kiran Rijiju, Union Law Minister, on June 4. The Tribunal functions as a quasi-judicial authority and specialises in dealing with appeals under the Direct Tax Acts. ITAT has 63 benches across the country. The appeals can be filed against the orders of income tax authorities. During Covid-19, ITAT had disposed of over 60,000 cases through virtual hearings. An e-filing portal facility is also maintained by ITAT. The tribunal is entrusted with the task of deciding intricate questions of law and fact. 

    Govt pats self for low unemployment rate The Congress government in Chhattisgarh has got one more reason to pat its own back. The latest data of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy shows the state’s unemployment rate to be 0.7% in May as against the national average of 7.1%. The Bhupesh Baghel government credited its model of development claiming the policies and programmes introduced by it have generated employment opportunities, particularly for the youth, and boosted the rural economy. The government has launched a mission to create 15 lakh new job opportunities in the next five years. “It’s for everyone to see why there’s a consistent decline in unemployment rate in the state,” CM Baghel said. 

    Ejaz KaiserOur correspondent in Chhattisgarh [email protected]

  • Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel offers 11-km-long stole to temple in Maoist hotbed of Dantewada

    RAIPUR: Often in the news for Maoist activities, the hot zone of Dantewada in south Chhattisgarh will grab headlines for another reason when Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel offers a 11-km-long red stole at the local goddess temple on Sunday.

    The attractively-designed chunri (stole) in red – the colour believed to engage positive energies and divine vibrations among worshippers – has been prepared by around 300 women, who work with the DANNEX Garment Factory. The unit was started a year and a half ago by the district administration. 

    The move has empowered local women who are stitching and designing garments of branded textile companies which place their orders from across the country.  Traditionally, temple deities in the region are offered chunri.

    “Offering the Mata Ki Chunri would be a significant occasion in the history of Dantewada, when our CM himself will offer it during the ceremony at Danteshwari temple on Sunday. A world record is going to be created as 300 women at DANNEX have prepared the 11-km-long chunri,” said Dantewada collector Deepak Soni.

    He added that the occasion will break the previous record of 8,000-metre chunri dedicated earlier to Narmada Maiya at Mandsaur in MP. “We are privileged to prepare the chunri which will set a world record. We were thrilled when asked to engage in the pious work to prepare the 11,000-metre stole in honour of Maa Danteshwari,” said the women workers.

  • Trouble brews for Congress in Chhattisgarh

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: While there is a buzz about the change of guard in Rajasthan following Sachin Pilot’s recent meeting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, trouble is brewing in party ruled Chhattisgarh with state cabinet minister TS Singh Deo pressing for a quick decision on his elevation as state CM and emphasising how indecisiveness could harm the party.

    Deo, who has been waiting for clarity from the top leadership on the rotational formula promised to him in 2018, was assured in August 2021 that the matter will be looked into later as changing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, an OBC, then could impact the party in the five-state assembly elections.

    “He has been seeking clarity from top leadership on whether it will implement a rotational formula or not. But there has been no clarity. We have a good chance of winning back in Chhattisgarh but the matter should be addressed timely,” said a senior Congress leader.

    Another party leader from Chhattisgarh cited the caste equation playing against Deo’s elevation with less than two years left for elections. 

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    “He comes from the upper caste and only 6-7 per cent of the total state population is from the upper/minority caste. The state has 32 percent tribal population and 45 per cent is OBC and Baghel comes from the OBC community. It clearly shows how the odds are stacked against him (Deo),” said the leader.

    In the past few months, Deo has met top leadership on the issue. “He is silent but not sitting quiet and there are reminders from him that regularly come to state in-charge PL Punia and top leaders. The ball is in the court of the Congress president,” said a senior party functionary.

    Deo recently claimed that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contacted him but he will not leave the Congress.  

    “AAP contacted me. I am openly saying that I have not met AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal. I am in Congress and will continue to remain in Congress. I will not join the BJP because of ideological differences… Five generations of my family have been in Congress. I am not leaving the party. It is difficult for me to even think beyond Congress,” he said.

  • Railway cancels 22 more trains serving Chhattisgarh, CM Baghel’s plea go “unheeded”

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR: Congress-ruled Bhupesh government is peeved of getting ignored as the Indian Railways not just “turned a blind eye” to the state’s plea to resume 10 special passenger trains but instead went ahead cancelling 22 more trains that either originate or pass through Chhattisgarh state.

    Early this month the Railways decided to suspend the operation of 10 special passenger trains affecting the commuters of Chhattisgarh following which the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed his strong displeasure.

    The Congress leaders said that it was on the eve of Navratri festival the 10 trains were suspended leading to huge problems faced by the devotees during the festive season. “It exposed BJP’s ideology that claims to promote values of Hindu religion. Now surprisingly again 22 trains were cancelled. Centre is insensitive to the ordeal faced by the worshippers, students, commuters who travel mostly by train daily”, averred RP Singh Congress spokesperson.

    On the CM’s direction then additional chief secretary (ACS) Subrat Sahoo on April 5 wrote to the chairman and chief executive officer of the Railway Board seeking resumption of these trains narrating the problems faced by the commuters.

    However, the Board instead of heeding to the request had further cancelled another 22 passenger trains including around a dozen long-distance mails and express. Six out of 22 originate from Chhattisgarh state. Sahoo again shot a letter to the Board to cancel the order issued by the principal chief operations manager (SECR) saying that the “state’s request was being ignored”.

    “Such decisions are absolutely anti-people”, said CM Baghel.

    “We got the order from the Railway Board. Another twenty-two passenger trains have been cancelled from April 24 for a month. No reason specified by the Board”, Saket Ranjan, chief public relations officer, SECR zone, told this newspaper.

    The ruling Congress are exasperated citing two reasons: the Railways apparently ignored the plea of the Chhattisgarh government and none of the nine BJP Lok Sabha MPs (out 11 LS members in the state) raised the concern before the Centre.

    The state BJP leaders though admitted the cancellation of trains will lead to problems for the people. “Trains shouldn’t have been cancelled during the marriage season and summer vacation”, said Sunil Soni, Raipur BJP MP.

    “The party leaders intend to discuss the issue with the railway minister. When it comes to people’s welfare or public interest, it’s the priority that matters for us more than the party. We will take up the issue”, stated Dharamlal Kaushik, Chhattisgarh’s leader of opposition.

    “A major chunk of the passengers in the state belong to the middle and lower class, who reach their destination every day while travelling by the cancelled trains”, stated the letter written by ACS asking the Board to immediately restart the operation of trains.