Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections: Hectic parleys continue in game of thrones

After a massive victory in the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls with 68 seats on Tuesday, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting to decide on the next chief minister of the state took place this evening. Soon after the meeting, All India Congress Committee's observer Mallikarjun Kharge said that the final call will be taken by party president Rahul Gandhi after cosulting each and every elected legislators in the state. Besides Kharge, AICC in-charge for the state PL Punia, newly elected Raipur MLA Kuldeep Singh Juneja and other senior leaders attened the CLP meeting in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The Congress delegation in Chhattisgarh is also scheduled to meet Governor Anandiben Patel, staking claim to form the next government in the militancy-hit state.

Congress state chief Bhupesh Baghel, former Opposition leader TS Singh Deo, chief of Chhattisgarh unit Charan Das Mahant, Lok Sabha MP Tamardhwaj Sahu and former Chhattisgarh minister Satyanarayan Sharma are among the key candidates for the chief minister's post in the state.

Read | Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections: CLP meeting over, Kamal Nath likely to be next CM, say sources

Here are the Highlights on CLP meeting in Chhattisgarh:

10:40 pm: Newly-elected Congress MLAs in Chhattisgarh pass resolution authorising party president Rahul Gandhi to choose new CLP leader in state.

10:30 pm: The process of electing the Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan is presently ongoing. Congress party believes in the democratic process of knowing the view point of each elected legislator, says Congress National Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Randeep Surjewala: After consulting everybody we'll give a CM candidate&a govt that truly reflects will of people of these 3 states.We'll start process of loan waiver, process of creating new employment opportunities&reconstruction of these states in accordance with people's will pic.twitter.com/r6Gty3Vo64

— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2018

10:22 pm: Congress observer Mallikarjun Kharge said, "It has been unanimously decided that the head of the CLP leaders will be decided by Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi had said that even if a resolution is passed unanimously, every MLA should be talked to and their opinions have to be considered".

M Kharge, Observer for Chhattisgarh: It has been unanimously decided that the head of the CLP leaders will be decided by Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi had said that even if a resolution is passed unanimously, every MLA should be talked to & their opinions have to be considered. pic.twitter.com/93z80vLNU7

— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2018

09:27 pm: Newly elected Congress MLA from Raipur, Kuldeep Singh Juneja, arrives for Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on a scooty in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh: Newly elected Congress MLA from Raipur, Kuldeep Singh Juneja, arrives for Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on a scooty. pic.twitter.com/KX9LWp7k6F

— ANI (@ANI) December 12, 2018

According to the Election Commission (EC) data, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was in power in the state for 15 years, had won only 15 seats in the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly. Former chief minister Ajit Jogi-led Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) won five seats while his ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) bagged two in the state. A party needs to win 46 seats to form government in the state.

Read | Chhattisgarh Assembly Election Results 2018: Here's the full list of winners

While the Congress got 43 per cent of the total votes polled in the state, the BJP got 33 per cent. In an embarrassment to the ruling party, several ministers of the BJP lost. Following this, Chief Minister Raman Singh submitted his resignation to the governor.

The Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh was held in two phases on November 12 and 20. In the 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 49 seats, the Congress 39, while one seat each was bagged by the BSP and an Independent.