Has TS Singhdeo surrendered before Baghel or is it a tactical retreat?

New Delhi: A few days ago, Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister TS Singhdeo admitted that chief minister Bhupesh Baghel would be the first in line to be reconsidered for the post if the Congress wins the assembly elections in the state, due in November-December this year.

In another interview, Singhdeo also said that he would not seek the chief minister's post if the party returns to power in the upcoming elections.
What do these statements mean? Has he surrendered before Baghel or is it a tactical retreat on his part?

The tussle between the two started immediately after the Congress trounced the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2018 assembly elections. Out of the total 90 seats, the Congress bagged 68, BJP 15 and the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh of Ajit Jogi won 5.

This was the first time in decades that Chhattisgarh gave an overwhelming verdict in favour of the Congress as compared to close fights between the BJP and the grand old party in the past elections since the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000.

After the Congress party's victory in 2018, there were four contenders for the chief minister's post - Baghel, Singhdeo, Tamradhwaj Sahu and Charan Das Mahant.

However, only Baghel and Singhdeo remained in the race after the other two were eliminated after a series of discussions.

While Singhdeo had the support of some legislators, the majority were with Baghel. The Congress high command then came out with a widely reported power-sharing formula according to which Baghel would hold the post for the first two-and-a-half years and Singhdeo for the remaining term.

Baghel's term was to end in July 2021. But since he enjoyed the support of a majority of legislators, the Congress leadership was caught in a dilemma as any action against Baghel would have resulted in the government's fall.

In August 2021, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi called Baghel for a meeting in Delhi and explained to him how crucial it was for the party to win the 2022 assembly elections in Gujarat and for that how important it is for him to take charge as the general secretary in-charge of the state.

Baghel was visibly shaken and found himself in a catch-22 situation. The chief minister was also told that he could get the post back after the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh in 2023.

Baghel is said to have gathered some courage and politely told Rahul Gandhi that if the leadership has decided to remove him he should be allowed to work in his constituency as a legislator. He insisted on remaining connected with his people.

Rahul Gandhi didn't expect this answer from Baghel and told him that a decision would be taken in due course of time.

Rahul Gandhi had clearly anticipated major trouble for Singhdeo as the chief minister if Baghel was allowed to stay put in the state. That is why he wanted to shift Baghel to Gujarat.

But Baghel's fortunes saw a turnaround after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought his support in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections held in February-March 2022 along with Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. He proactively helped the party in election management and mobilising resources not only in Uttar Pradesh but in Himachal Pradesh as well. Assembly elections were held in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat in November-December 2022.

While the Congress performed poorly in Uttar Pradesh, it comprehensively won Himachal Pradesh.

Baghel's involvement in the two states has brought him close to Priyanka Gandhi who had aggressively campaigned in Himachal Pradesh. Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi had skipped canvassing in the hill state as he was then undertaking his Bharat Jodo Yatra. However, Rahul Gandhi later campaigned in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah.

Chhattisgarh is an important state for the Congress in terms of mobilisation of resources and the party appears set to return to power in the upcoming assembly elections as per various poll projections.

Since assuming the chief minister's post in 2018, Baghel has strengthened his grip over the party and he is believed to be the most popular leader of Chhattisgarh as of today.

Perhaps Singhdeo might have kept that in mind and opted for a tactical retreat at this moment. He might once again throw his hat in the ring if the Congress retains power in the state but then French statesman Napoleon Bonaparte had once said: "In politics... never retreat, never retract... never admit a mistake."