Raipur, Jun 29 (IANS): Newly appointed Chhattisgarh deputy Chief Minister T. S. Singh Deo said on Thursday that maintaining the faith of people of the state will be his first priority.
However, he also stated that he never pressured the party's central leadership for rotation in the Chief Minister's post.
On Thursday, Singh Deo arrived in Raipur where a large number of his supporters welcomed him.
"Our main responsibility will be to get united for the upcoming Assembly elections. In 2018, we fought the elections together and formed the government in Chhattisgarh," he added.
Responding to the issue of CM face in upcoming Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Singh Deo stated that political parties do not fight elections on a single face.
"The CM is Bhupesh Baghel and we will fight on the face of the current CM only, this is how Congress works but we will all work together. No specific responsibility has been given to me as of now," the Deputy CM said.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel welcomed T. S. Singh Deo at his residence on Thursday. "Today Maharaj Saheb T. S. Singhdev ji had a courtesy meeting at the residence office. On being made the Deputy Chief Minister, we all congratulated him by feeding him sweets. On this occasion, our in-charge Kumari Selja ji had a special presence," Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel tweeted.
Meanwhile, the opposition BJP alleged that the Congress leadership has appointed T. S. Singh Deo as the Deputy CM by bypassing the authority of the Governor.
The BJP claims that the Congress itself has given the opinion and exit polls of 'Bhupesh Karnama' of 4.5 years.
"The Congress has made Babaji (Singh Deo) the Charanjeet Channi of Chhattisgarh, this is not justice to Baba in any way. BJP's Chhattisgarh unit chief Arun Sao on Wednesday termed state minister Singh Deo's appointment as the state deputy chief minister as an insult to him, and said the decision will not save the Congress from being defeated in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
''Congress party does not have the right to appoint a deputy CM. It is the right of the CM and Governor.''
''The other thing is that the Congress party, which had promised Singh Deo to make him CM for two-and-a-half-years, has done injustice to him by making him deputy CM for just four months. It is an insult to Singh Deo ji,'' Chhattisgarh BJP president Arun Sao said.