RAIPUR: Vishnu Deo Sai, the BJP legislative party leader and MLA from Kunkuri seat, was sworn in as the chief minister of Chhattisgarh here on Wednesday.
The party state president Arun Sao and the first-time MLA Vijay Sharma also took oath as deputy chief ministers.
Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sai and his two deputies during a grand ceremony held at the Science College ground attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Union ministers Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari, and chief ministers of some states.
Sai, who began his political career as an unopposed Sarpanch of Bagiya gram panchayat in 1990, represents Kunkuri legislative assembly in Jashpur district and was elected as leader of BJP legislative party last Sunday.
Elected as an MLA at the young age of 26 years an undivided MP, he represented the Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency four times in a row since 1999 and served as the union minister of state in the Narendra Modi government from 2014 to 2019.
Sao is an MLA from the Lormi assembly constituency and Sharma represents the Kawardha seat, which is also referred to as ‘Dharm Nagri’ of Chhattisgarh.
On the gateway to power in Chhattisgarh, BJP makes a coal sweep on tribal belts, turning as a boost to the party’s revival winning 17 out of 29 reserved Scheduled Tribe constituencies.
After taking oath, Sai reached the state secretariat at the new capital city Nava Raipur-Atal Nagar.
The BJP is yet to declare its list of ministers even as many senior party leaders in Chhattisgarh now expect yet another surprise pick of members for the new cabinet team of Sai.
The BJP registered a convincing victory winning 54 seats in the 90-member House and returned to power in a decisive people’s mandate that has gone against the predictions of pollsters and political pundits who predicted a close fight in Chhattisgarh’s bipolar politics with an edge to Congress.
Sai (59) will be the fourth chief minister of Chhattisgarh state, which was created in 2020. Sao (54) hails from the influential Sahu (Teli) OBC community. Sharma (50), a Brahmin, is the state BJP's general secretary.
(With inputs from PTI)