Congress to pick Chhattisgarh CM on Wednesday

Raipur: The Congress in Chhattisgarh will hold its legislature party meeting here on Wednesday to decide on the next chief minister of the state.

Congress’ Lok Sabha member Tamradhwaj Sahu, who successfully contested the Assembly election from Durg Rural seat, state party chief Bhupesh Baghel and senior leader T S Singhdeo are front-runners for the top post.

The Congress registered a landslide victory in the Chhattisgarh polls, bringing an end to the 15-year rule of the Raman Singh-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. It won 68 seats in the 90-member Assembly, while the BJP got only 15 seats.

“The Congress Legislature Party meeting will be held at 8 pm. All India Congress Committee’s observer Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC in-charge for the state P L Punia and other senior leaders will be present there,” state party unit’s general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi told PTI.

The chief minister is likely to be announced after the meeting.

Former chief minister Ajit Jogi-led Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) won five seats and his ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) bagged two seats.

A party needs to win 46 seats to form government in the state.

The Congress got 43 per cent of the total votes polled in the state, while the BJP got 33 per cent.