The Congress on Friday continued to grapple with infighting in Chhattisgarh and Punjab, but chief ministers Bhupesh Baghel and Amarinder Singh have so far held onto the support of the majority of the legislators.

Over the past 24 hours, both Baghel and Amarinder have put up a show of strength but that does not seem to have put a lid on the power struggle in either state.

Baghel returned to the national capital on Friday afternoon and held a three-hour meeting with Rahul Gandhi, the second time the leaders have met this week.

Baghel said Rahul had accepted his invitation to visit Chhattisgarh next week, seen as an indication that for now a change in chief minister was unlikely.

Asked if he would step down to make way for senior minister and bugbear T.S. Singh Deo, Baghel said AICC general secretary in-charge P.L. Punia had already cleared the air on the matter. Punia had said there had been no agreement on rotation of chief ministers at the time of government formation in 2018.

Rahul had met Singh Deo, the Chhattisgarh health minister who has been pressing for a change of guard due to differences with the chief minister, on Tuesday.

In making out a case for replacing Baghel, Singh Deo has been claiming that there had been a power-sharing agreement according to which he should be made chief minister now as the state government is at the half-way point of its five-year term.

Bhupesh Baghel Telegraph picture

The majority of the Chhattisgarh Congress legislators, including ministers, have been camping in Delhi since Thursday to show their support to Baghel.

In Punjab, chief minister Amarinder attended a dinner on Thursday organised by a loyalist where 58 MLAs and eight MPs were present.

The Congress has managed to force Malwinder Singh Mali, whose controversial remarks on Kashmir had put the party in a tight spot, to quit as adviser to state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Sidhu, who has had testy ties with Amarinder, lashed out saying he cannot be expected to be a dummy chief who is not allowed to take decisions.

Addressing supporters in Amritsar, he said if given a free hand he would ensure the Congress stayed in power in Punjab for the next two decades, but he would not be able to do anything if he was not allowed to take decisions.

The party in-charge of the state, Harish Rawat, was quick to respond that PCC chiefs were free to take decisions as per the Congress’s constitution and norms. “If they will not take decisions, then who will?” Rawat said.

Gehlot angioplasty

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has been hospitalised for angioplasty.