Vishnu Deo Sai to take oath as Chhattisgarh CM on Wednesday; PM to be present

A Chhattisgarh government statement said PM Modi, home minister Ami Shah and BJP president JP Nadda will be among those to attend Vishnu Deo Sai’s oath event

Published on: Dec 11, 2023, 21:15:48 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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RAIPUR: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vishnu Deo Sai will take oath as Chhattisgarh chief minister in Raipur on December 13 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official statement by Chhattisgarh public relations department said on Monday.

Chhattisgarh CM-designate Vishnu Deo Sai offers prayers at Ram Temple, in Raipur on Monday (ANI)

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Science College ground at 2pm, the state government’s statement said.

Apart from PM Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya, BJP’s state in-charge Om Mathur and chief ministers of other states will also be present at the event.

Sai, who won the Kunkuri seat in the Surguja division, was elected as leader of the BJP legislative party in the Chhattisgarh assembly on Sunday, the first for the three states that the BJP won in the recent clutch of five assembly elections. On Monday, BJP legislators in Madhya Pradesh elected Mohan Yadav as leader of the BJP legislative party in the state legislature. BJP legislators in Rajasthan are expected to decide the state’s CM at their meeting on Tuesday.

Sai was elected on Sunday as leader of the BJP legislative party at the meeting of the party’s 54 newly elected 54 legislators in the 90-member assembly. The Congress, which won 68 seats in 2018, was reduced to 35 seats this time. The Gondwana Gantantra Party managed to win one seat.

The Chhattisgarh government statement on Monday said Sai’s council of ministers will also take oath the same day. There has, however, been no formal word on the composition of Sai’s team.

BJP leaders have indicated that two ministers in Sai’s cabinet could be designated as two deputy chief ministers. Also, one of them said, it was expected that the Sai cabinet would reflect an effort to strike a balance between the party stalwarts and the emerging second line of leadership.

A BJP leader said it was possible that the cabinet would include two women legislators, Renuka Singh and Lata Usendi, who represent seats in the tribal belt in north and south Chhattisgarh.

Harsh Dubey, a political commentator based in Chhattisgarh, said the BJP’s challenge was to “manage the regional and caste balance” apart from striking a balance between experienced lawmakers who have been re-elected and the new faces who won high-profile seats with a huge margin.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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