E-Paper
Chhattisgarh: BJP appoints OBC leader Arun Sao as new state unit president
Arun Sao, a first-time MP from Bilaspur Lok Sabha constituency, was made the new chief by BJP national president JP Nadda
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday appointed party MP Arun Sao, an other backward class (OBC) leader, as the new president of its Chhattisgarh unit in place of prominent tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai who held the post since June 2020.
Sao (53), a first-time MP from Bilaspur Lok Sabha constituency, was made the new chief by BJP national president JP Nadda, a letter issued by organisation secretary Arun Singh stated.
A lawyer by profession, Sao has been engaged in various activities as a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP, and other organisations since 1990.
Former chief minister and state BJP leader Raman Singh congratulated Sao, and said party leaders and workers will work dedicatedly under his leadership to bring the organisation back to power in Chhattisgarh.
BJP insiders claimed they had a hunch around two months ago about an OBC face taking the coveted post.
“The party is now focusing on the OBC vote bank which shifted to Congress in the 2018 elections. Senior leaders were of the view that the party should be led by an OBC face. There were three names for the post of party president,” a senior BJP leader said, hinting that more changes in party leadership in Chhattisgarh are expected in the coming months.
Meanwhile, reacting to the development, Sushil Anand Shukla, chief of the Congress’ state communication wing said the removal of a tribal leader from the position on World Tribal Day “reflects the anti-tribal thought of the BJP”.
