Priyanka to address Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Bhagel's "trust rally" on April 13

The three states are crucial for the grand old party ahead of the 2024 national battle. Among the three, Chhattisgarh is the most promising and was therefore chosen to host the Plenary Session in February, said party insiders.

New Delhi: Amid a power tussle in Rajasthan, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address a huge rally in support of chief minister Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh on April 13, confirmed AICC secretary in charge of Chhattisgarh, Chandan Yadav. According to Yadav, the rally, being dubbed as “Bharosa sammelan” or “trust rally”, has been called to thank the voters of the tribal state and to highlight the various welfare schemes that the state government launched over the past four years.

Just like Rajasthan, where the Congress will go to polls over the welfare schemes started by chief minister Ashok Gehlot, the grand old party is also planning to highlight the public welfare programs in the tribal state. “The state government has fulfilled most of the promises made in the 2018 poll manifesto. The Godhan scheme, which allows villagers to get income by selling cow dung and the Nyay scheme under which monthly stipends are given to the poor, have greatly impacted the lives of the people,” said Yadav.

The Congress had won Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in 2018 but had lost MP in 2020 to the BJP as some of its lawmakers defected to the saffron party under the influence of Jyotiraditya Scindia, who had joined the BJP. Five years later, the party is trying hard to retain power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and win back MP in 2023. The three states are crucial for the grand old party ahead of the 2024 national battle.

Among the three, Chhattisgarh is the most promising and was therefore chosen to host the Plenary Session in February, said party insiders. Further, Baghel has emerged as one of the confidantes of Priyanka and helped her during the last year’s Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.

However, the state unit has been of late dealing with some internal issues amid reports that health minister TS Singh Deo was upset over not getting the chief minister’s post as per a rotational arrangement in 2018.

Recently, Singh Deo had also said that he was having a rethink over fighting the assembly polls in 2023, ringing alarm bells in the AICC. A few days ago, Singh Deo was in Delhi to meet former Congress president Sonia Gandhi fuelling reports over a likely change in the state unit.

AICC secretary in charge of Chhattisgarh Chandan Yadav discounted such reports saying, “There is no infighting in the state unit and you will see all the senior leaders on the dais on April 13. Singh Deo may have met Soniaji personally,” Yadav said.

According to Yadav, the state government’s Saur Sujala scheme has empowered the farmers and has allowed irrigation possible in remote areas through the use of solar energy. The farmers are getting solar pumps at concessional rates and they are able to till their fields round the year.”

“A large number of Asha workers who have benefited from the government schemes will also be facilitated on April 13. It is important to tell the voters about the work we have done for them. Over the coming days, we will go to the people with our achievements,” he added.