Baghel draws huge crowds at INC’s 85th plenary session

New Delhi: The 85th plenary session of the Indian National Congress was hosted by state capital Raipur from February 24 to 26, with about 15,000 delegates invited to attend the session.

The event witnessed a gathering of several leaders and huge crowds drawn by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The dias was shared by party bigwigs Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Ashot Gehlot, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Mallikarjun Kharge among others.

As the Congress wrapped up its session with the ‘Raipur Call to Action’, Priyanka Gandhi spoke about Chhattisgarh being a model state and showing the way to other states in India.

Kharge, while addressing the rally, congratulated Baghel for arranging the historic event as it was the first large-scale event post the successful completion of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. The event witnessed excellent arrangements including wifi, medical staff, fire brigade, exhibition, lounge, retiring rooms, food, and water for everyone. Some buses were kept on standby and people were gifted Chhattisgarh model books and bags to celebrate the successful completion of the event.

Despite the ongoing ED raids and senior leaders like Pawan Khera being questioned, Baghel and his team managed to stand firm and showed why he is an exemplary leader with party interests at the forefront.

The Supreme Court of India had ordered Khera be released on interim bail after he was removed from a flight and arrested at the Delhi Airport when he was on his way to the plenary in Raipur.

Following the plenary, ED raided the Khera’s house, who was looking after the management of the programme.

“ED raids on Congress leaders, Pawan Khera’s arrest was an unsuccessful attempt to disturb the plenary session. Such behaviour with the leaders of a political party is not appropriate in a democracy,” Baghel said.

Congress members congratulated Baghel for his excellent event management, preparation, and coordination during the plenary. They praised him for being a leader who is a strategist with political acumen. He is also considered as an expert with experience who is sharp in running the government.

Baghel, who hails from a farmer family in Chhattisgarh, began his political career with the Indian Youth Congress in 1985. He worked his way up through the ranks and held various positions in the Congress party before becoming the state president of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) in 2014. As the CPCC president, Baghel was instrumental in leading the party to victory in the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. He is credited with the Congress party’s spectacular performance in the state, where it won 68 out of 90 seats, ending the 15-year rule of the BJP.

Baghel’s tenure as Chief Minister has been marked by several initiatives aimed at improving the lives of the people of Chhattisgarh. He has implemented several welfare schemes, including the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, which provides direct cash transfers to farmers, and the Narva, Garuva, Ghurwa, Bari scheme, which aims to conserve water and promote agriculture. Baghel has also been a vocal critic of the BJP and its policies. He has taken on the central government on several issues, including the controversial farm laws, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baghel’s ability to connect with people, especially farmers, has made him a popular leader in the state. He is known for his simple lifestyle and has been called the “son of the soil” by many of his supporters.