Former Federal Minister Vishnu Deo Sai is set to take over the reins in Chhattisgarh state a week after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comprehensively defeated Congress in the assembly polls.
After the BJP won 54 seats in the 90-member legislature, ousting the Congress that could only triumph on 35, there was much speculation over who would head the government in Chhattisgarh, a state with a large tribal population.
Moreover, the BJP's top leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, considered the No.1 and No.2 in the party, were reportedly keen to hand over the mantle of the state to a fresh face.
Earlier, when the BJP was in power in Chhattisgarh for three consecutive terms from 2003 to 2018, Dr. Raman Singh, headed the government in state capital Raipur.
Vishnu Deo Sai's elevation to the top post in Chhattisgarh came after he was elected as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party by the party's newly-elected lawmakers in the state.
The development was confirmed by the state unit of the BJP and the incoming state chief himself.
"Today, I have been unanimously chosen as the leader of the legislative assembly. I am thankful to PM Modi, Union HM Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda for showing trust in me," Vishnu Deo Sai said after the BJP announced the decision.
Who is Vishnu Deo Sai?
Speaking about Vishnu Deo Sai, he is considered to be close to Raman Singh, BJP's former three-term Chhattisgarh state chief.
Additionally, the 59-year-old is believed to have strong ties with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a national organization that serves as the BJP's ideological mentor.
Vishnu Deo Sai has been a four-time Member of Parliament and has also served as the president of BJP's Chhattisgarh unit in the past.
In the recently held assembly polls, Vishnu Deo Sai was elected from the Kunkuri constituency of Chhattisgarh's northern parts.