Chhattisgarh Congress Leader TS Singhdeo Resigns as Rural Development Minister

File image of TS Singhdeo.

(Photo Courtesy: TS Singhdeo/Twitter)

Congress leader TS Singhdeo on Monday, 18 July, resigned from his post of Panchayat and Rural Development Minister in Chhattisgarh. He will continue to serve as the minister for Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education in the state.

"I had started to feel that I couldn't work according to public. So, I decided to resign and I wrote to CM regarding this. I've not resigned from party, I've just stepped down from my post," news agency ANI quoted TS Singhdeo as saying.

He added that he will continue to loyally discharge the rest of the responsibilities given to him.

This comes amid reports of a rift between Singhdeo and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

In May, both the Congress stalwarts had undertaken their separate statewide tours, ahead of the Assembly elections slated for 2023.

Both leader stated that their respective tours would focus on the assessment of the government’s work, but analysts believe it is a pre-election campaign with a clear wedge between Baghel and Singhdeo.

The health minister and Baghel have reportedly been in contention for the chief ministerial post when the former registered his claim for the top post citing the alleged agreement of power-sharing reached between him and Baghel in the presence of Rahul Gandhi after the 2018 Assembly elections.

(With inputs from ANI.)