nBJP leader Vishnu Deo Sai will take oath as Chhattisgarh's new Chief Minister on Wednesday. He will be the fourth to helm the state and the second tribal elevated to the top post, after the late Ajit Jogi.
Sai will be sworn-in along with his council of ministers at a grand function to be held at 2 p.m. at the Science College Ground in Raipur, a government official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda and other party leaders are expected to attend the event.
Tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai, a seasoned politician, who had previously served as a Union Minister, emerged unexpectedly as the choice for the chief minister's post in Chhattisgarh after a week-long suspense.
Following a crucial meeting of the BJP's newly-elected 54 MLAs in the state, held in Raipur on Sunday afternoon, Sai's name was formally declared as the Chief Minister.
The announcement was made by former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh at the BJP legislature meeting.
Later, on Monday, Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan invited to form the government.
Sai won from the Kunkuri Assembly seat defeating his nearest rival, U.D. Minj of the Congress, by 25,541 votes.
Sai holds a prominent position within the BJP, having served in various capacities, including as the state BJP chief and a Union Minister. He belongs to the Kanwar tribe, which holds a substantial presence in the Surguja region.
He headed the Chhattisgarh unit of the BJP from 2020 until 2022.
He was the Union Minister of State for Mines and Steel in the first Modi cabinet. He is highly regarded among tribal voters.
Sai started his political career as a village sarpanch. In 1989, he was elected as a 'panch' of Bagia village panchayat and next year became the sarpanch unopposed.
In 1998, he was defeated in Assembly polls from Pathalgaon seat.
He won four consecutive Lok Sabha elections from Raigarh constituency from 1999 to 2014. He was not given a ticket in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
Meanwhile preparations for the swearing-in ceremony were given final touches on Tuesday.
An official said about 1,000 police personnel have been deployed for security arrangements. Intensive checks are being conducted in many parts of Raipur, he said.
He said the oath-taking ceremony will take place on one stage. Another one will be for VIPs and the third stage for the newly-elected MLAs.
Speculations is on in political circles that the new council of ministers may be a mix of fresh faces and old-timers. As per the norm, the Chhattisgarh cabinet can have a maximum of 13 ministers including the chief minister.
Speculation is also rife that there be two deputy chief ministers – one each from OBC and the general category.
