RAIPUR: Senior Congress leader and health minister TS Singhdeo will become the deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh.

AICC general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal issued a letter late on Wednesday, stating that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of TS Singhdeo as the deputy chief minister in Chhattisgarh government.Newly appointed Chhattisgarh deputy CM TS Singh Deosaid, "First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for this responsibility given to me by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.I have been born and brought up in Surguja and Chhattisgarh accepted me and Congress leadership gave me chances to serve the responsibilities.

We have to go ahead by taking everyone together and try to complete the work in the limited time we have, asstate goes for elections.AICC general secretary KC Venugopal also tweeted, “Singhdeo is a loyal Congress leader and an able administrator.

The state will benefit greatly from his services as deputy CM.

We are confident that the people of Chhattisgarh will re-elect the Congress with a thumping majority under the leadership of Kharge ji and Rahul ji.”The decision comes immediately after state’s senior Congress leaders including chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had a meeting in Delhi where the party discussed the strategies for the upcoming elections scheduled in November.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretaries and senior leaders from Chhattisgarh were present in the meeting.

The meeting was also held in the backdrop of differences between the organization that emerged after PCC chief Mohan Markam reshuffled the responsibilities of party general secretaries leading to AICC general secretary Selja ordering cancellation of PCC chief’s decision.

Subsequently, the differences had reached the party high-command.TS Singhdeo was among the frontrunner for the CM’s post after the Conrgess came to power in 2018 uprooting the 15-year-old BJP regime.

However, the mantle of government was handed over to chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.After the Congress government in Chhattisgarh crossed the half way mark , a political controversy erupted with intense speculation that there was a formula for rotational chief ministership after 2.5 years.As Singhdeo camped in Delhi at that time, legislators supporting Bhupesh Baghel had rallied in Delhi apparently to oppose any leadership change.

Later, the controversy died down.Since the assembly elections are due by November this year, Congress party has been making efforts to hammer out the differences between the leaders and the organization and today’s meeting was apparently held in that context.Septuagenarian Congress leader TS SInghdeo, who belongs to the erstwhile Surguja state in north Chhattisgarh is all set to become the deputy chief minister during the last few months of the present Congress government as the assembly elections are scheduled to held in November this year.Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel also tweeted a picture of him with Singhdeo stating, “We are ready.

Congratulations to Maharaj Sahab for the responsibility of deputy chief minister.”Congress steering committee member and party in charge for Chhattisgarh, Kumari Selja tweeted with congratulations to Singhdeo saying that she’s sure that Singhdeo will continue to work for public and state with the new responsibility and the state will earn benefit from his experience.(With inputs from agencies)WatchGrateful to Congress high command for opportunity: Deo on being named Chhattisgarh deputy CM