Amid questions of alleged differences between Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his deputy chief minister T.S Singh Deo, the latter has said that while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) keeps “fishing” with the goal of cashing in on such rifts, for him, there has never been any question of joining the saffron party.In a telephonic interview with The Wire, Singh Deo addresses the big issues in this election where the Congress is looking to return to power after trouncing the BJP in 2018. He also addresses the corruption allegations raised against his government by the BJP.Excerpts of the chat are below. Some answers have been shortened for length.Congress is contesting on the slogan ‘Phir Se Congress Sarkar (once again a Congress government)’. What are the issues that you will be highlighting this election?Whatever we had talked about before the elections and whatever we have been able to deliver, that will be our plank for seeking the support of the people again. Nowhere in the country are paddy farmers getting as much value for their crops as in Chhattisgarh. We had assured that we would be waiving short term farm loans, which we did to the tune of about Rs 10,000 crores. We assured the farmers that we would purchase paddy at least at Rs 2500/quintal. And now we will be purchasing paddy at just short of Rs 2800 in November. As far as sugarcane is concerned we had assured them a minimum price of 355/quintal today they are getting at over Rs 400.We had assured labourers engaged in collecting beedi leaves in the tribal forest areas, that we will increase the rates from Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000. As far as other forest produce is concerned, there was earlier a regime of seven forest produce which were to be purchased at MSP by the central government. They withdrew that notification. Today through the state government we are being able to assure them of procuring 67 forest produce at MSP. Chhattisgarh today is the leading state in the country contributing to about 72 to 74% of the total forest produce in the country. This is money that is going straight into the pockets of the people.We had promised and delivered on giving electricity up to 400 units at half the rate. We are providing electricity to farmers at their irrigation pumps and free of cost to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers.We have been providing health cover up to Rs 25 lakh for a family in a year. Where education is concerned we have opened Swami Atmanand English medium schools.We also have doorstep delivery of services, which is also perhaps in other states too. In addition we have provided an unemployment allowance to students. We had not been able to take up housing – which we had promised – due to financial restraints. We were not able to provide Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Despite the central government withdrawing its funding from that temporarily we have asked them to come forward with their contribution. Even if they don’t we have already announced that we will provide this through DBT transfers.In a recent interview with The Wire former CM Raman Singh said that the BJP will make corruption the biggest issue in these elections and highlight the liquor scam, loan scam, coal levy scam, and so on. Do you see corruption being a big issue and can it work against the party?First Mr Raman Singh should be answering about the scam which had taken place while he was chief minister, which was the Rs 36,000 crore PDS scam.There were so many other things that had come up while he was chief minister and not one was enquired by the ED or the IT. That apart, who in the government – as far as elected representatives are concerned – has been booked? Some government officers have been found guilty and we have always maintained that whoever is found guilty you take action. Today even the home minister comes and makes allegations. They are in a position to make enquiries and take action. It is now known in the country that if you are in the opposition ED, IT comes knocking and the moment you switch parties no action is taken. So it is more than clear that nothing but misuse of these agencies is being done against the opposition.Raman Singh. Photo: X/@drramansingh/Video screengrab.BJP has also raised questions about infighting in the Chhattisgarh Congress. Recently after you thanked the PM at an event for all the central projects announced in the state, Raman Singh said you were forced to apologise. Are there any differences between you and Bhupesh Baghel?If people don’t understand courtesy and want to make politics then they are welcome to go ahead. There have been any number of occasions when on a political platform we have rightly spoken up against many of the actions taken by the prime minister and the (Union) government which has put the country into so many difficulties, whether it was demonetisation or GST implementation or the border situation or where Manipur is burning. So where have we not brought these matters to the attention of the country at large? Whether it is me or otherwise. So a nicety when you are at a government function to a guest who has come in a federal structure where you need to mend relationships and see the best interests of your state small and petty things don’t come in the way. When we are on a political platform we bring up these things, but on a government platform there are niceties to be maintained and we maintain them. The CM said the same thing when he asked me to represent the state when the prime minister was coming. The health department had some schemes which were talked about on the platform so I welcomed him as a public representative of a federal unit of our country. We were representing our state and he was representing the central government. If you want to play politics on that you are welcome.Has anyone from the BJP been in touch with you as they look to perhaps cash in on these alleged differences with CM Baghel?Were the BJP in touch with the government in Maharashtra’s Maha Vikas Aghadi including NCP and others? Were they or were they not in touch? So they keep fishing if they feel that there is something that they might be able to cash in on. Since ideology does not have any meaning in their dictionary or maybe general dictionary of politics sadly. But I have always said very clearly that there is never any question of ever joining the BJP or any other party. There has never been any question of ever joining the BJP because there are basic ideological differences which a small humble person like me will never be able to cross.Singh Deo with Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. Photo: X/@TS_SinghDeoBut they have been fishing with you then?Not very recently, but certainly at other times.There have been various instances of anti-Christian violence reported from across various villages in Bastar. Data collected by the United Christian Forum in 2022 says that after Uttar Pradesh (99), the second highest number of cases were reported from Chhattisgarh (89).How do you plan to address this amid rising concerns about the Congress government not being serious about minorities’ safety?The chief minister has been very clear on this matter that action will be taken on merit. And action has been taken against many people, those reports are perhaps not being put out in the media where people are behind jail for indulging in these actions. This is being done through RSS organisations as they are doing in other parts of the country where they are trying to create a rift between the people and trying to put across majoritarian sentiment. It is absolutely true that these vitiated minds are indulging in not allowing burial of the dead of people of christian community in certain districts in Bastar in Narayanpur, Bijapur, and others. In a very targeted way they are trying to create fissures to create a majoritarian sentiment but they will fail because the government is completely even handed and whoever takes law and order into their hands, action will be taken against them and has been taken already.BJP has also made the claim of ‘forced conversions’ a big issue in Chhattisgarh. Amit Shah has also accused the Congress of it in tribal areas. How would you respond to this?Again, an accusation. Has he given the name which individual and where in Chhattisgarh has been converted has he given a name? These are baseless allegations and in fact there were far more conversions during the BJP government. Even then it was minimal but it was far more than what it is now. We want names, not allegations. He is the home minister of the country, he should be having names.Chhattisgarh has a large tribal population of about 30%. What will be your government’s outlook on their welfare? All that I mentioned earlier, about forest produce, beedi leaves, 67 other forest produce being collected by self help groups. And a large number of women have been empowered through value addition and collection of these products. Millets – we had highlighted in our manifesto – that we will be focusing on their procurement and today we are purchasing that on MSP. Millet is grown on less fertile lands which lie on hilly terrain which again lie in the tribal majority belts. And today they are getting very good remunerative prices in the market. Apart from this education infrastructure, supporting their cultural activities through local coordinates through the government through cash being provided for upkeep of centres of religious sentiments, and giving stipend to those who look after these places of worship and bringing the PESA Act (Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas) rules. There could be issues of empowering people more but the government has assured people that we will go step by step.Amit Shah has said that Maoist presence in Chhattisgarh have gone down during the BJP rule at the Union. How do you see the home minister’s statement?Is the Naxal issue a state issue or central issue? There are paramilitary forces that have been posted there, no denying that. We are in a federal democracy not by one government run from the centre. Law and order which deals with the Naxal situation is the responsibility of the state government. The chief minister heads the joint command. Mr Amit Shah should not be petty to take the credit from the state government. It is sad that they want to take credit for everything.#WATCH | Union Minister Amit Shah in Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon says, “During the Congress rule naxalism increased while the BJP reduced Naxal menace by 70 per cent…Congress never did anything for the development of the tribals and only made promises which were never… pic.twitter.com/3y8lcHmIZm— ANI (@ANI) October 19, 2023Coming to candidates, BJP has decided to field sitting Durg MP Vijay Baghel from the Patan constituency against his uncle, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. Several other MPs have also been fielded by the BJP. Though they have not declared a CM face yet many MPs will now come to the state to fight elections. How do you see this?It exposes their weak bench strength. You don’t have people who can fight elections at the state level. That is the first message that I get. People elected to other seats of representation, if you need to catch them to fight state elections it means that your bench strength is very weak and poor.With Vijay Baghel’s nomination, the BJP seems to be attempting to woo OBC voters. Is this going to affect the contest?They are trying to field who they feel is the strongest candidate available to them but that will not be an issue. Vijay Baghel (centre, in brown). Photo: X/@vijaybaghelcgPM Modi has been declared as a star campaigner of the BJP. Do you think this will affect the outcome of the elections and will Modi’s campaigning make a difference?Central leaders of all parties come and they have been coming to represent the Congress also. This is a procedure that has been going on so there is nothing new. Modi campaigned in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Karnataka and we have seen the results. There are other states where he has campaigned like in UP or Uttarakhand where the BJP has won. They have a presence which does not affect the state because he is not contesting for the chief ministerial post. We haven’t seen Modi here for the last five years. He was here before the last elections and he is here now. Where was he in the intervening five years? That is why it will have no impact.Finally, will you conduct a caste survey in the state if re-elected?Yes, certainly. We have already announced that and it will be a part of the manifesto.