Vishnudev Sai becomes Chhattisgarh BJP chief

Raipur, January 21

BJP has appointed Raigarh MP Vishnudev Sai as new president of its Chhattisgarh unit. Sai succeeds Ramsewak Paikra who resigned from the post of State BJP chief under party’s tradition of one-man-one-post after being inducted in Raman Singh cabinet as home minister. Sai’s appointment is said to be cautious move by the party ahead of general elections as it not only aims to appease its tribal vote bank but also wants the new chief to strike balance between organisation and government.

Sai, 50, is a young party MP who will take the significant job for the second time. He has been State president for about three and a half years (from October 31, 2006 to May 9, 2010) before Paikra’s tenure. He is credited to have led BJP successfully in his first term during which the party regained power in State in 2008 and posted thumping victories in ten out of 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in 2009.

Sai will be eighth president of State BJP. Earlier, he was sixth in the series in 2006. The party unit’s first president was late Tarachand Sahu who later rebelled and floated a new party Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch. Sahu was succeeded by Lakhiram Agrawal, Raman Singh, Nandkumar Sai, Shivpratap Singh, Vishnudev Sai and Ramsewak Paikra.

Besides, Sai, former State assembly Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik too was in race for the post of State BJP head. Though, both Sai and Kaushik are close to CM Raman Singh, Sai’s name was projected for the top job because of his past experience of handling the State unit.

Talking to Metro India after getting the new assignment, Sai said the BJP had been working as a unit for last 13 years or so and would win all 11 seats in ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Asked his take over BJP’s dismal performance in tribal-populated Bastar and Sarguja divisions in recent assembly polls, he said the result in two regions was really shocking for the party despite Raman Singh government taking several initiatives for tribals.

“We will see what went wrong in Bastar and Sarguja and are hopeful to win the confidence of tribal community again,” he added. The BJP won four and seven seats in Bastar and Sarguja divisions respectively in 2013 as compared to 11 and nine in 2008.