T S Singh Deo to be deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh
New Delhi, Jun 28: Chhattisgarh minister T S Singh Deo will be the deputy chief minister of the state with the ruling Congress clearing his appointment on Wednesday, months ahead of the assembly elections.
According to a party statement issued here, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment of Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister in Chhattisgarh.
Singh Deo and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel have been engaged in a power tussle since the party came to power in the state in 2018.
Singh Deo claimed earlier that the party leadership had promised that he and Baghel would hold the chief minister's post alternately, a claim rejected by Baghel.
Baghel had also paraded the MLAs loyal to him before the party leadership a few months ago when Singh Deo stepped up efforts to replace Baghel as chief minister.
Both Baghel and Singh Deo were in the national capital to hold the party's strategy meet for the assembly polls later this year.
Sources said the party's general secretary in-charge for Chhattisgarh Kumari Selja sent a proposal to appoint Singh Deo as the deputy chief minister and it was cleared by party chief Kharge.
Baghel and Singh Deo also met Kharge at his residence after the strategy meeting.
Baghel later tweeted a picture of him and Singh Deo, both beaming, and said, "We are ready. Congratulations and best wishes to Maharaj Saheb for his responsibility as Deputy Chief Minister."
AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal tweeted, "He (Singh Deo) 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 Gandhi ji."
The Congress is seeking to retain power in Chhattisgarh and is projecting unity in the party unit.
हैं तैयार हम.
— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) June 28, 2023
महाराज साहब को उपमुख्यमंत्री के रूप में दायित्व के लिए बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएँ. @TS_SinghDeo pic.twitter.com/1sRZqsEU2W
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JD(S) wants changes in certain provisions in One Nation-One Election proposal
Bengaluru (PTI): The JD(S) has requested its ally BJP to make changes in certain provisions of the proposed 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill linked to the ONOE proposal, particularly the special powers proposed to be given to the ECI to recommend postponement of elections in any state.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee held discussions with political parties in Bengaluru on Saturday regarding the Constitution Amendment Bill connected to 'One Nation-One Election' and sought their suggestions and opinions.
The JD(S) said suitable amendments had been proposed to the provisions empowering the Election Commission of India to recommend to the President the deferment of state elections, while also seeking legal safeguards for the stability of coalition governments and protection for regional parties during simultaneous elections.
"With regard to the Bill, the JD(S) extended support to the Constitutional amendment with certain conditions and amendments, while suggesting safeguards to ensure that regional parties are not adversely affected by the aggressive election campaigns of national parties during simultaneous elections," the statement said.
The party stated that coalition governments have been formed and functioning at both the state and national levels for several decades in recent years, and "there is a need for legal protection to ensure their stability".
"Therefore, it also suggested incorporating legal safeguards for the stability of coalition governments in the proposed Constitutional amendment," the party, headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, said.
The proposed Constitutional amendment grants special powers to the ECI to recommend to the President the postponement of elections in any state. Suitable amendments to these special powers have been proposed, the party said.
"On the above stated subjects, suitable submissions were made to the JPC," the party said in a statement, which has been posted on its 'X' handle.
According to the statement, the JD(S) delegation was led by M Mallesh Babu and included former MP D Kupendra Reddy, former Assembly Deputy Speaker M Krishna Reddy, former minister Venkatrao Nadagouda, MLA T N Javarayi Gowda, former MLA K A Tippeswamy and party legal cell president A P Ranganath.
