RAIPUR/NEW DELHI: The BJP central leadership had dropped hints during the poll campaign in Chhattisgarh that Lord Vishnu — named the state’s next CM on Sunday — could be headed for a higher station in life.
While campaigning in Sai’s constituency, Kunkuri, Union home minister Amit Shahthe architect of BJP’s win in the state, had said, “Aap unhey vote dein, hum unhey bahut bada aadmi bana denge (you support him, we will help him reach greater heights).”
Shah’s pitch is supposed to have been a crucial factor in the saffron sweep of all 14 seats of tribal-dominated Sarguja district in a dramatic reversal of the trend which had facilitated Congress’s thumping win five years ago.BJP, in fact, won 18 out of 29 seats reserved for the ST category in the state.
Sai will be the first tribal Hindu to take over as Chhattisgarh CM. Ajit Jogi, the first CM of the state who won from a seat reserved for STs, was a Christian. Moreover, his claim to be a tribal was disputed by many who insisted that he was a Satnami, a Dalit sect.
Women, OBC and tribal support have been identified as most vital in shaping BJP’s victory in the three states, with Shah asking state in-charge Nitin Naveen, former BJYM leader and Bihar minister, to focus on winning over the important constituencies.
The choice of Droupadi Murmu as President, celebration of Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary as Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas and celebration of other tribal legends seem to be part of the same push.
Modi had acknowledged the soaring tribal support to BJP in his address to party cadres and said Congress had been wiped out of tribal-dominated regions in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. He had also recalled the party’s win in tribal constituencies in Gujarat last year. Modi’s insistence on welfare initiatives for the tribal regions is seen as a catalyst in the community’s switch to BJP from being a Congress “vote bank” for decades.
Sai had twice served as state BJP president and later as Union minister of state for steel in the first Modi government.
The chief minister-designate called on governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan to stake his claim to form the government. Talking to reporters after his selection as BJP legislature party leader, Sai said, “My first priority is to fulfil PM 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 farmers who sold their paddy in 2015-16 and 2016-17 under the MSP scheme. We could not pay this bonus to farmers during our previous tenure. Now, this money will be transferred to farmers on December 25 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.”
While campaigning in Sai’s constituency, Kunkuri, Union home minister Amit Shahthe architect of BJP’s win in the state, had said, “Aap unhey vote dein, hum unhey bahut bada aadmi bana denge (you support him, we will help him reach greater heights).”
Shah’s pitch is supposed to have been a crucial factor in the saffron sweep of all 14 seats of tribal-dominated Sarguja district in a dramatic reversal of the trend which had facilitated Congress’s thumping win five years ago.BJP, in fact, won 18 out of 29 seats reserved for the ST category in the state.
Sai will be the first tribal Hindu to take over as Chhattisgarh CM. Ajit Jogi, the first CM of the state who won from a seat reserved for STs, was a Christian. Moreover, his claim to be a tribal was disputed by many who insisted that he was a Satnami, a Dalit sect.
Women, OBC and tribal support have been identified as most vital in shaping BJP’s victory in the three states, with Shah asking state in-charge Nitin Naveen, former BJYM leader and Bihar minister, to focus on winning over the important constituencies.
The choice of Droupadi Murmu as President, celebration of Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary as Jan Jatiya Gaurav Diwas and celebration of other tribal legends seem to be part of the same push.
Modi had acknowledged the soaring tribal support to BJP in his address to party cadres and said Congress had been wiped out of tribal-dominated regions in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. He had also recalled the party’s win in tribal constituencies in Gujarat last year. Modi’s insistence on welfare initiatives for the tribal regions is seen as a catalyst in the community’s switch to BJP from being a Congress “vote bank” for decades.
Sai had twice served as state BJP president and later as Union minister of state for steel in the first Modi government.
The chief minister-designate called on governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan to stake his claim to form the government. Talking to reporters after his selection as BJP legislature party leader, Sai said, “My first priority is to fulfil PM 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 farmers who sold their paddy in 2015-16 and 2016-17 under the MSP scheme. We could not pay this bonus to farmers during our previous tenure. Now, this money will be transferred to farmers on December 25 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.”
