Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the BJP-led Centre did not play any role in curbing Naxalism in the State as incidents of Naxal violence were on the rise under the party's "double engine" government between 2014 and 2018, and asserted that his dispensation's three-pronged strategy of development, trust and security resulted in pushing Maoists on backfoot.
In an interview to PTI, Mr. Baghel also said his party's high command will decide whether he would continue to be the CM or not if the Congress retains power in the State after the next month's Assembly elections.
Congress is striving to retain power in Chhattisgarh for the second straight term in the two-phased elections to be held on November 7 and 17, riding high on the popularity of Mr. Baghel, who has a significant hold over the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and rural voters, and the government's welfare schemes focused on farmers, tribals and the poor.
