BJP picks tribal leader Vishnu Deo as Chhattisgarh CM

Raipur: The BJP on Sunday picked Vishnu Deo Sai, a prominent tribal leader, as the next Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, ending the suspense over who will helm the state which the saffron party wrested from the Congress in recent polls.

Sai (59) was elected as the BJP Legislative Party leader during a meeting of 54 newly-elected MLAs held at party's state headquarters here in the afternoon, a party functionary said. The four-term MP -- who has been the president of the Chhattisgarh unit of the party from 2020 to 2022 -- is known for his organisational capability and has a non-controversial image.

After the BJPLP meeting, a delegation of BJP MLAs led by Sai met Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan to stake a claim to form the next government.

“We have handed over a letter to the Governor stating that Sai ji has been elected as the legislative party leader,” senior BJP MLA Brijmohan Agrawal told reporters. He said the date of the swearing-in ceremony would be informed later. As a Chief Minister, Sai said he would try to fulfil PM Modi's "guarantees" and sanction 18 lakh houses to the beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojna, who were deprived of the benefits under the erstwhile Congress government, will be the top priority.

BJP's three observers - Union ministers Arjun Munda and Sarbananda Sonowal and party general secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam - attended the meeting of the MLAs, besides BJP's in-charge for Chhattisgarh Om Mathur, Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and party's co-in-charge for the state Nitin Nabin. At the meeting, the proposal to elect Sai as the legislative party leader was moved by former chief minister Raman Singh, which was seconded by state BJP president Arun Sao and senior leader Brijmohan Agrawal.

Sai thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and other party leaders for reposing faith in him.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Sai said fulfilling the promises of the BJP mentioned in the poll manifesto would be the priority of his government. “As chief minister of Chhattisgarh, I will try to fulfil the BJP’s pre-poll promises which are PM Modi’s guarantees through the government,” Sai said.

On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister (late) Atal Bihari Vajpayee December 25, who was the founder of Chhattisgarh State, a bonus against paddy procurement for two years which was pending during the previous BJP government (2013-2018) will be given to farmers (who had then sold their paddy), Sai said.

“All the guarantees of Modi Ji, BJP’s poll promises, will be fulfilled in the next five years,” he said. Sai has become the fourth chief minister of the state.

Sai is also known to be favoured by party’s ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Additionally, he is close to former Chief Minister Raman Singh, who has been party’s tallest leader in the state.