Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2023: Congress’ Biggest Challenge Is Fighting ED and IT Department, Not BJP, Says CM Bhupesh Baghel

New Delhi, August 25: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said the Congress will replace some "weak" legislators with snew faces in the upcoming assembly polls and asserted the party's biggest challenge in the state was to fight the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department rather than the opposition BJP. In an interview to PTI, he said there are no differences within the Chhattisgarh unit of the party and that the chief ministerial face will be decided by the party high command and everyone will abide by it.

He noted that the BJP posed no challenge to the ruling Congress and there was no anti-incumbency against his government, which worked for the welfare of all sections of people during the last five years. "The ED and the I-T Department are acting as powerful wings of the BJP and they are trying to create a fear psychosis ahead of the Chhattisgarh assembly elections, but they would not succeed in their endeavours," Baghel told PTI, referring to recent raids by these central agencies against some of his close aides. Attempts To Tarnish Image of Chhattisgarh Government, ED Torturing Everyone, Says CM Bhupesh Baghel After Agency Action on His Political Consultant

"There is no challenge to the Congress party posed by the BJP in Chhattisgarh, but our biggest challenge is fighting the ED and the I-T Department which are acting in an undemocratic manner in the state ahead of assembly polls," he claimed. The elections to the 90-member assembly in Chhattisgarh are slated for later this year. Baghel said the Congress has been carrying out surveys on the performance of its MLAs and indicated that some of them may not be renominated in the upcoming polls. Party office-bearers will be consulted before finalising candidates, he said, adding winnability will be the sole criteria for candidate selection. ED Raids in Chhattisgarh 'Birthday Gift' to Bhupesh Baghel, Says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

"It is possible that in some seats, where our candidates are weak, we could change our sitting candidates. They could be given other responsibilities. That is the party's policy," he said. With the BJP having already declared 21 candidates, Baghel said the Congress will assess who among its leaders are best suited to take on them. "We will see who is the better candidate.... It is possible that some candidates would be changed, there are 71 sitting MLAs (of Congress), it is natural that some of them are weak," he said, without sharing details.

Asked whether the leadership issue in the state has been resolved and who will be the chief ministerial candidate, he said, "Deciding the chief minister is the prerogative of the Congress high command and everyone will abide by its decision." The chief minister said there is no conflict in the Chhattisgarh unit of the party. "I have perfect relations with (deputy chief minister) T S Singh Deo and others. We had good ties earlier and even now," he noted. Asked about the main challenge before them in the assembly polls, he said, "Going by the undemocratic manner in which action is being taken, our biggest challenge is fighting ED, I-T department."

"There is no challenge from the BJP in Chhattisgarh. Our preparations are underway and there is no anti-incumbency or anger against the government. We have been in touch with people across all sections. Our preparations are such that there is no challenge. But, when everyone fights the election unitedly, then the results will be unprecedented," he asserted. He said the probe agencies can arrest anyone and the party is prepared to deal with such a situation. "They put us in jail in 2018 but they saw the results when their 15-year government was reduced to 15 seats. This time too, they will see similar results if they try this tactic."

Referring to the raids against his aides on his birthday, Baghel said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah "will have to wait till November, when the Congress will win 75 seats and this will be their return gift." He said the BJP has already said that it will contest the polls under collective leadership and the prime minster will be their face. "We will have to contest against ED and I-T (department), which are hidden faces but are now contesting openly. It is an open secret now," he said. Asked what his message would be to the prime minister after raids on his close aides, he said, "I want to thank the prime minister and the home minister as the more...they will attack us, the more powerful we will emerge."

He said while those in the Congress are under the scanner of the ED and the I-T department, BJP leaders are also "under surveillance". On charges that the Congress is playing "soft Hindutva" card, the chief minister said the party is working on the path of development and this was the promise made by the Congress party. "We are also taking forward the pride of Chhattisgarh and we have honoured the culture and traditions of Chhattisgarh. They have no counter to our traditions and Chhattisgarhia pride, which we have projected," he noted. After BJP fielded his nephew and Lok Sabha MP Vijay Baghel against him in the Patan assembly seat, the chief minister said he has remained in several parties and is now in the BJP. He was earlier in the Congress, but for power he switched over to other parties.

"It is good. I felt that I would fight with him, but the BJP has agreed that its candidate is weak. And now, we understand that our fight is with ED and I-T." Vijay had defeated his uncle Bupesh Baghel in the 2008 assembly elections from Patan with a margin of nearly 7,500 votes. Baghel also said that while the entire country which is facing the brunt of price rise, coupled with unemployment and economic distress, in Chhattisgarh the government has stood with the people. "We have turned all sectors which were earlier in losses as profitable in Chhattisgarh, be it farming, rice mills, dairying or animal husbandry," he claimed. The people of Chhattisgarh are not facing the brunt of price rise as the state government has given enough money in their hands, he noted.