Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who started his political career as a village sarpanch and rose to become a Union minister and multiple-time Lok Sabha MP besides getting the important organisational role, on Wednesday celebrated his birthday by spending time with specially-abled children in Raipur.
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'I felt very happy'
Speaking to reporters, Sai expressed his gratitude for the unique opportunity to celebrate his birthday differently this year as the Chief Minister. He shared that spending time with specially-abled children brought him immense joy and fulfilment.
"I thank everyone for giving me blessings on my birthday. Being the CM, this time, I got the opportunity to celebrate my birthday differently. I celebrated my birthday with specially-abled children. I felt very happy when I cut the cake with them and gave them battery tricycles," the Chief Minister expressed.
Sai emphasised that he allocated funds for the construction of a new residence for the specially-abled children due to the poor condition of their current accommodation. "Although seven organisations are indulged in working for these kids their house is not in a good condition. They demanded to get a new house. I have granted money for the same," he concluded.
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.
(With ANI inputs)
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