The Bharatiya Janata Party ended the suspense over the chief ministerial face in Chhattisgarh, a week after the Assembly poll results were out, and declared a tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai as the next CM of the state on Sunday (December 10). The development comes after the central observers of the BJP held a meeting with the MLAs in Raipur. Party’s three observers – Union ministers Arjun Munda and Sarbananda Sonowal, and party general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam – held the brainstorming with the leaders and came up with Sai as the next face of the government in Chhattisgarh where the party came to power, winning 54 seats.
Who is Sai?
Vishnu Deo Sai won the Chhattisgarh Assembly Election 2023 from Kunkuri. Sai was the Chhattisgarh state president of the BJP from 2020 to 2022.
He was also the Minister of State (MoS) for Steel, Mines, Labour and Employment during the first Narendra Modi Cabinet. Vishnu Deo won four consecutive Lok Sabha elections from the Raigarh constituency in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
Sai defeated Congress candidates Pushpa Devi Singh, Rampukar Singh, Hridayaram Rathiya and Arti Singh respectively in these elections.
Sai won two consecutive Assembly elections in 1990 and 1993 from the Tapkara constituency in undivided Madhya Pradesh. Vishnu Deo defeated UD Minj, the sitting Congress MLA, this time in the Chhattisgarh Assembly Election 2023.
Sai started his political career as a village sarpanch and rose to become a Union minister and multiple-time Lok Sabha MP besides getting important organisational roles.
The newly-elected MLA from Jashpur district in the Surguja region perfectly fits in the BJP's scheme of things since Adivasis account for nearly 32 per cent of the state's population and are the second most dominant social group after OBCs.
Despite inheriting a rich political legacy of his family and holding key portfolios when he was a Union minister, the 59-year-old tribal leader is known for his humility, down to earth nature, dedication to work and determination to achieve goals.
Sai has headed the BJP's Chhattisgarh unit three times, displaying the central leadership's faith in his organisational skills.
Starting his political career as the sarpanch of an obscure village, Sai rose through the ranks and became a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first Council of Ministers after the BJP formed its full majority government at the Centre in 2014.
He was among the then 10 sitting BJP MPs in Chhattisgarh who were denied tickets for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The tribal politician served as the BJP's Chhattisgarh chief from 2006 to 2010 and again from January-August 2014.
After the BJP lost power in the state in 2018, he was again given the responsibility to lead the party in Chhattisgarh in 2020.
He was replaced with Arun Sao, an OBC leader, in 2022, just a year ahead of the Assembly polls.
Ahead of the polls in November this year, Sai was named a member of the BJP national executive in July.
Two Deputy CMs in Chhattisgarh
There will be two Deputy chief ministers in Chhattisgarh, former CM Raman Singh informed.
New CM-elect reacts
In his first reaction after being elected as the CM face of the party, Sai said that his first work will be to give empetus on the housing scheme of the government. He also vowed to fulfil all promises made under the "Modi Ki Guarantee".
"With all honesty I will work for 'Sabka Vishwas' & the promises made to the people of Chhattisgarh under 'Modi Ki Guarantee' will be fulfilled. As a CM of the state, we will try to fulfil the promises. The first work will be to give 18 lakh 'Awas' to the people..." he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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