Chhattisgarh Assembly Election Result: Bhupesh Baghel is next CM

The Chhattisgarh Congress Legislative Party chose state party president Bhupesh Baghel as the new chief minister on  Sunday. Baghel, CPL TS Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu and Charan Das Mahant were seen as the front-runners for the chief minister's post. The third round of discussion was held on Saturday to decide on the top post for the state where the party has returned to power after 15 years with a two-thirds majority.

Bhupesh Baghel reached Raipur from Delhi on Sunday morning and said that Congress's central observer Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC in-charge for party affairs in Chhattisgarh, P L Punia reached Raipur later in the day and the name of the chief minister was finally announced at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting.

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According to sources, Sahu was nearly chosen as the next Chhattisgarh CM after the second round of meeting. However, others were not convinced and returned to Rahul Gandhi's residence.

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Taking to Twitter, Gandhi also dropped hints that the party has settled the issues on who should be the next chief minister of Chhattisgarh. The Congress chief also posted a photograph with the top contenders along with his tweet. "No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team," he captioned his tweet.

No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.

– Reid Hoffman pic.twitter.com/TL5rPwiCDX

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 15, 2018

Here are the LIVE updates:

01.51 pm: Bhupesh Baghel to be new Chhattisgarh chief minister. The decision was taken at the Legislature Party meeting.

01.50 pm: Visuals from the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Raipur.

Chhattisgarh: Visuals from the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Raipur. pic.twitter.com/LdQTLog6nt

— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2018

12.56 pm: Chhattisgarh: Congress leader TS Singh Deo arrives in Raipur, from Delhi.

Chhattisgarh: Congress leader TS Singh Deo arrives in Raipur, from Delhi. pic.twitter.com/GBu6Zrjhiu

— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2018

T S Singh Deo on being asked if he'll be announced as #Chhattisgarh Chief Minister: Aap Chhattisgarh ki government mein Chhattisgarh ke liye kaam karne wale ek saathi se baat kar rahe hain. 12:30 baje vidhayak dal ki baithak hai, tab CM ka naam announce ho jayega. pic.twitter.com/PVc3VuHrun

— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2018

08.45 am:

Chhattisgarh: Bhupesh Baghel arrives in Raipur from Delhi, says "Mallikarjun Kharge ji and PL Punia ji are arriving here later today. Name (of the CM) will be announced at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting." pic.twitter.com/cwax93b3bA

— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2018