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SWEARING-IN CEREMONY IN CHHATTISGARH
ARUN SAO AND VIJAY SHARMA TOOK OATH AS DEPUTY CMs
In a majestic and glittering ceremony attended by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, BJP National President Shri JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah and other senior leaders of the party, BJP legislative party leader and MLA from Kunkuri Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh in Raipur on 13 December, 2023. While MLA from the Lormi constituency Shri Arun Sao and MLA from the Kawardha seat Shri Vijay Sharma took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers.
Chhattisgarh Governor Shri Biswabhusan Harichandan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shri Vishnu Deo Sai and the two Deputy Chief Ministers during a hugely attended grand ceremony held at the Science College ground in the state capital of Raipur.
Among others, Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari and other Union Ministers, BJP National General Secretary (Org.) Shri BL Santhosh, Uttar Pradesh CM Shri Yogi Adityanath, Gujarat CM Shri Bhupendra Patel, Assam CM Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma, Uttarakhand CM Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Maharashtra CM Shri Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra Deputy CMs Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Shri Ajit Pawar were also present on the occasion. Former Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel was also present during the swearing-in ceremony.
Shri Vishnu Deo Sai rose through sheer hard work and dedication in a political journey that began as a Sarpanch in Chhattisgarh in 1990 and went on to become multiple-times MP and a union minister.He is known for his humility and organisational skills. He rose through the ranks and became a member of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s first Council of Ministers after the BJP formed its full majority government in 2014. He is the fourth Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh state, which was created in the year 2000.
Shri Sai, 59, who headed the BJP’s Chhattisgarh unit three times as its President is the first tribal Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Despite inheriting a family political legacy and holding key portfolios when he was a Union Minister, Shri Sai is known for his down-to-earth approach, dedication and determination to achieve goals.
VISHNU DEO SAI ELECTED AS LEADER OF BJP LEGISLATIVE PARTY
Earlier, BJP National President Shri JP Nadda appointed Union Ministers Shri Arjun Munda, Shri Sarbanand Sonowal and BJP National General Secretary Shri Dushyant Gautam as central observers for Chhattisgarh on 08 December.
The three central observers discussed with all newly elected 54 MLAs one to one in Raipur on 10 December and the legislature party unanimously elected Shri Vishnu Deo Sai as its leader. After the legislature party meeting, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai’s name was announced by senior BJP leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh. Later, the Chief Minister designate called on Chhattisgarh Governor Shri Biswa Bhushan Harichandan to stake his claim to form the government.
Talking to reporters after his selection as the BJP legislature party leader, Shri Sai said, “I have been unanimously elected as the leader of the BJP Legislature Party. I express my gratitude to the BJP, which has shown faith in me, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, party National President Shri JP Nadda, and Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah. I also express my gratitude to Chhattisgarh in-charge Shri Om Mathur, co-in-charge and Union Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya and co-in-charge Shri Nitin Nabin”.
He said “My first priority is to fulfil PM Shri Narendra Modi’s guarantee to the people of the state with utmost honesty, starting with providing houses to 18 lakh poor families and payment of pending bonus to the farmers who sold their paddy in 2015-16 and 2016-17 under the minimum support price scheme”.
Noteworthy, the BJP made a stunning comeback to government in the recently completed polls, winning 54 seats in the 90-member state assembly. The Congress, which won 68 seats in 2018, was reduced to 35, while the Gondwana Gantantra Party emerged victorious in one assembly constituency. The BJP, put up a good show this time in tribal-dominated seats, winning 17 of the 29 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. The BJP won all 14 assembly segments in the tribal-dominated Surguja region from where Shri Sai hails, and 8 out of the 12 seats in Bastar region. The BJP’s comprehensive win in the tribal turfs contributed to its resounding victory in the assembly polls and return to power in the state after a gap of five years.
PM Modi congratulates CM Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy CMs
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi congratulated Shri Vishnu Dev Sai for being sworn-in as Chhattisgarh CM and Shri Arun Sao and Shri Vijay Sharma for taking the oath of Deputy CMs. In his message on X he said, “Many congratulations to Vishnu Dev Sai ji and Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao ji and Vijay Sharma ji on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh! I strongly believe that the BJP government of this state rich in cultural heritage will continuously strive to fulfil the aspirations of the people. The double engine government is fully committed to bringing prosperity and happiness in the lives of the people of the state”.
Double engine government will write a golden chapter of service, good governance and development : JP Nadda
Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Shri @vishnudsai on taking oath as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh state and Shri @ArunSao3 and Shri Vijay Sharma on taking oath as Deputy Chief Ministers. I have full confidence that under the guidance of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, the double engine government will write a golden chapter of service, good governance and development in Chhattisgarh.
Our resolution of ‘Antyodaya’ will materialize the all-round progress of the people of the entire state including the tribal society”.
Team is fully capable of taking Chhattisgarh far ahead on the path of progress: Rajnath Singh
Congratulating and giving best wishes for a successful tenure Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh in his message on X said, “Many congratulations to Shri Vishnudev Sai who took oath as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and Deputy Chief Ministers Shri Arun Sao and Shri Vijay Sharma. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, this team is fully capable of taking Chhattisgarh far ahead on the path of progress. Best wishes to all for a successful tenure.
Gratitude to the people of Chhattisgarh for electing a People friendly government : Amit Shah
Congratulating the new Chief Minister and his Deputies Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah in his message on X said, “Many congratulations to Shri @vishnudsai ji on taking oath as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and Shri @ArunSao3 ji and Shri Vijay Sharma ji on taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, it will be the priority of the BJP government to raise the standard of living of our tribals, farmers and poor sisters and brothers of Chhattisgarh and to provide corruption-free governance.
I express my gratitude to the people of Chhattisgarh for electing a people friendly and people dedicated government”.
LIFE SKETCH
• Shri Vishnu Deo Sai is currently serving as the 4th Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. He is also the first Tribal Chief Minister of the state.
• He was born in a farmer’s family in Bagia village of Jashpur district to Shri Ram Prasad Sai and Smt. Jashmani Devi on 21 February, 1964.
• He started his political journey in 1989, and was elected as a Panch of Bagia village panchayat and the next year he became the Sarpanch unopposed in the tribal-dominated Jashpur district.
• Commitment to serve the people runs in the blood of Shri Sai’s from very childhood. His grandfather Budhnath Sai was a nominated MLA from 1947 to 1952. His elder uncle Narhari Prasad Sai was a member of the Jana Sangh and served as a two-term MLA (1962-67 and 1972-77) and was elected as an MP (1977-79) and served as a Minister of State in the Janata Party government. His other uncle Kedarnath Sai was also a Jana Sangh member and served as MLA from Tapkara (1967-72).
• He was member of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly for two times from 1990-1998 from the Tapkara constituency.
• After the formation of Chhattisgarh, he served as BJP President in 2006, 2014 and 2020.
• Shri Sai was elected as MP from the Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency four times in a row – 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
• After the BJP formed its government at the Centre in 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he was inducted into his team and made Minister of State for Steel and Mines.·
• He was fielded from Kunkuri in the elections which he won by defeating Congress’ sitting MLA UD Minj by a margin of 25,541 votes.